Video captured anti-Israel activists in Chicago chanting “hands off Iran” and cheering on Iran’s attack on Israel hours after shouting “death to Israel” and “death to America” in Farsi.
The shocking footage was taken Saturday after Hatem Abudayyeh, who heads the U.S. Palestinian Community Network, told some 300 left-wing protesters that Iran launched its drone and missile attack on the Jewish state,The Free Press reported.
“They believe that they will be in Palestinian — I don’t call it Israeli — airspace between 2 and 4 a.m., which means about two to four hours from now,” says Abudayyeh, whose group is funded by WESPAC, a Westchester County-based nonprofit.
The activists, who were gathered at the Teamster’s Union headquarters to discuss their plans to disrupt the Democratic National Convention this August, booed and cried out “shame” in response to Abudayyeh’s remarks.
Abudayyeh continued, saying it was “incumbent” that Americans “stop the United States from expanding this war and hitting Iran.
“We’ve got to be the strong, powerful anti-war movement that we are,” he said before exiting the stage.
Video shows immediately after making his statement the crowd began to chant “hands off Iran!” according to The Free Press.
Earlier in the day, activists in a “break out session” for the Anti-War Committee Chicago were filmed taking part in disturbing chants that included “Death to Israel” and “Death to America” in Farsi.
Shabbir Rizvi teaches the crowd to say “death to America” in Farsi. X/@TheFP
He also led them in chants of “death to Israel” in Farsi. X/@TheFPThe chants in Iran’s native language were taught to some 80 participants by organizer Shabbir Rizvi, who told attendees they could use the saying if they ever encounter “Zionist freaks.”
To teach the attendees — nearly all of whom are wearing black KF94 masks — the chant, he jokes that it’s like saying “margarita bar.”
Later, the crowd laughs as Rizvi explains, “It can either mean, ‘death to,’ or ‘down with.'”
After teaching the leftists how to say saying “death to Israel,” one person chimes in: “Can we get a marg bar America?”
After teaching the leftists how to saying “death to Israel,” one person chimes in: “Can we get a marg bar America?”
Israel-Hamas war expands to all of Gaza: Here's the latest
- Fighting resumed in Gaza, on Friday, December 1, after Israel accused Hamas of violating their truce agreement by launching rockets at Israeli territory.
- Israel expanded war operations to southern Gaza, and troops have moved into Khan Younis, the second-largest city in the strip.
- The IDF has killed half of Hamas’ battalion commanders since the war began, with 5,000 Hamas terrorists killed so far.
- Harrowing details of Hamas’ abuse of Israeli hostages have emerged, which include drugging captives so they’d appear happy in front of the cameras when freed and burning child prisoners to mark them.
- In the US, Jewish students at top universities say they are “back to 1939” as they are targeted by a barrage of antisemitism with no institutional support.
Rizvi can be seen raising his hands in the air and leading the crowd like a conductor in a chant of “Marg bar America!”
The disturbing incident occurred mere hours before Iran’s anticipated attack on Israel on Saturday.
Iran’s attack on Israel was retaliation after the Jewish state killed top two Iranian generals in an airstrike in Syria on April 1.
Saturday’s barrage saw some 350 drones and missiles launched from within the Islamic Republic — as well as from proxies in Yemen, Iraq and Lebanon toward Israel.
The video was taken Saturday ahead of Iran’s anticipated attack on Israel. Getty ImagesOnly one casualty — a 7-year-old Israeli-Arab girl — has been identified so far.
The “vast majority” of the missiles were intercepted outside of air space, by Israeli air defenses, with the help of US, French and UK ships and warplanes shooting them out of the sky.
Fighter jets from Jordan also assisted, though the Middle Eastern country claimed it was not helping Israel but rather defending its own air space.
