Hamas terrorists were still slaughtering Israeli civilians on the weekend of October 7th and 8th when the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America promoted a disturbing march in the Big Apple in a "show of solidarity" for Hamas and the so-called "Palestinian cause," with many in the crowd on the day of the event chanting pro-terrorism slogans like "from the river to the sea," "resistance is justified when people are occupied," and "long live the intifada."
Before the antisemitic demonstration was even held, some New York Democrat "leaders" who for years otherwise coddled the NYC DSA condemned it, with Gov. Kathy Hochul proclaiming that, "The planned rally is abhorrent and morally repugnant.”
Over 24 hours after the hate-filled protest, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who is perhaps the NYC DSA's most famous/infamous member, issued a statement claiming that the "bigotry and callousness" on display that day "did not speak for the thousands of New Yorkers who are capable of rejecting both Hamas’ horrifying attacks against innocent civilians as well as the grave injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation."
As of this writing, however, AOC is still a card-carrying member of the NYC DSA.
Though the NYC DSA has taken considerably more heat from actual pro-Israel Democrats in New York like Rep. Ritchie Torres, the rest have seemed content in ignoring the socialist group since the rally took place, perhaps hoping they will fade from the spotlight and that people will stop asking Democrats who either played footsie with them or who otherwise looked away as they rose in stature in the state where they stand on the group's antisemitic tendencies.
One recent development coming out of the NYC DSA, however, might finally do them in, except this time around it doesn't revolve around antisemitism but instead a poster they created to promote a "Brooklyn Families for Palestine" gathering where they're calling on House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to be questioned in front of his Central office location in NYC over his attendance at the pro-Israel rally Tuesday.
Note the use of a watermelon in the promotional flyer:
Why was @RepJeffries sharing the stage with far-right pastor John Hagee at yesterday’s “March for Israel”? Ask him yourself on Friday!
— NYC-DSA 🌹 (@nycDSA) November 15, 2023
Join Brooklyn families for Palestine & @DesisRisingUp to demand Jeffries stop supporting genocide! #CeasefireInGazaNOWhttps://t.co/h9ol9zlEHg https://t.co/QzbTG9Qk1x pic.twitter.com/CaxOSyb0YF
The watermelon drawing led to accusations of racism against the NYC DSA considering the watermelon's use in racist imagery starting around the early 1900s.
Far leftists who will do just about anything to defend people who don't deserve it (like the NYC DSA) were quick to point out that the watermelon is connected to symbolism among the people of Gaza, as this article suggested:
Watermelon has, in fact, served in Palestinian iconography for decades, often being used as a stand-in for the Palestinian flag, because, when cut open, the fruit displays the flag’s colors of red, white, black and green. https://t.co/fl8zqCAW5t
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) November 16, 2023
Others, though, understandably were not so forgiving, including one who said the NYC DSA knew exactly what they were doing with that flyer:
"Watermelon has been used in racist imagery against Black people for hundreds of years. There's no excuse for using it in flyers against a Black New York politician. The Palestinian Flag is not banned in America. These gaslighting f*cks know exactly what they're doing."
Another wrote, "Folks got Palestinian flags [all] over their Twitter handle but somehow had to use a watermelon in their anti Hakeem Jeffries flyer."
Yup. They shouldn't be let off the hook for this. Not for a second.
That said, it'll be interesting to see how - and if - NY Dems come down hard on them for the watermelon imagery in comparison to how they reacted to their antisemitism because while racism is undoubtedly evil and unacceptable, cheering for genocidal terrorist groups to succeed is much worse.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member