PA Leaders Condemn Antisemitic Protest Targeting Jewish Businesses

“The bike ride, masquerading as a protest to advance the cause of justice, is nothing more than blatant antisemitism designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities,” according to a statement from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office.

“There is no place for that in our Commonwealth.”

Officials across state and municipal levels have forcefully denounced an upcoming weekend demonstration in Philadelphia directed at Jewish-run enterprises, labeling the event as antisemitic and unacceptable. Several area advocacy coalitions promoted the protest, which is anticipated on Sunday in the form of a bicycle “boycott ride” passing Jewish-owned dining establishments located within the city’s Rittenhouse Square district.

The main organizer, Philly Bike On Your Left, describes itself as being “anti-Zionist.”

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday characterized the economic protest occurring right before the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht as “deeply unsettling.” Kristallnacht, or the “Night of Broken Glass,” was a Nazi-organized riot in which synagogues were burned, Jewish-owned businesses and homes were vandalized, and Jews were assaulted, killed and imprisoned in concentration camps in Nazi Germany.

Shapiro’s office said Pennsylvania State Police is “engaged with our local partners to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our neighbors in Philadelphia.”

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said everyone has the right to protest peacefully, “But singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish is unacceptable and has no place in our city,” according to a statement posted on social media.

Targeting Rittenhouse Square Restaurants

Government authorities and regional Jewish groups note that the organizers of the scheduled bicycle protest have explicitly listed six eateries operated by Jewish proprietors.

“Ride around Rittenhouse with us as we show these Zionist business owners that we see them for the disgusting humans they are,” reads a post from Philly Bike On Your Left. “We’ll flag as many bikes as we can and show our solidarity with the Palestinian community and oppressed (folks) everywhere.”

In a statement transmitted to CNN and shared via its Instagram page early Saturday morning, Philly Bike On Your Left confirmed it would move forward with the ride despite what it characterized as unfair framing. Calling itself a “non-violent social cycling page,” the group said it was “firmly against racism and oppression of all forms, including fascism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, and colonialism.”

“Let us be clear: the reason we are calling for a boycott of these businesses is because of their support for Israel,” the group’s statement said.

Furthermore, the collective commented on the scheduling of the demonstration, which falls on the evening of November 9, exactly one day prior to the Kristallnacht remembrance.

Philly Bike On Your Left previously distributed material from another activist organization which asserted that objections to the event conflated Zionism with Judaism in bad faith and dismissed references to Kristallnacht as a cynical maneuver.

Echoes of 2023 Rittenhouse Demonstrations

Some businesses named in the group’s flyer have been protested before.

Protesters previously gathered outside Goldie, a falafel shop located near Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, during a 2023 demonstration. The establishment shares ownership with Israeli-born chef Michael Solomonov, a Pittsburgh native who also holds a stake in CookNSolo Restaurants, the parent company of several local dining spots.

The gathering was one part of a larger protest organized by a different group who said they “demand a complete end to the siege on Gaza and an end to the U.S. complicity with Israel.” Protesters at the time waved Palestinian flags and chanted, “We charge you with genocide.”

That demonstration also drew swift condemnation from the Biden administration and state and local officials. CookNSolo declined to comment on this weekend’s planned protest.

Groups and Officials Condemn Planned Boycott Bike Ride

A collection of regional pro-Palestinian organizations released a unified announcement late Friday endorsing the upcoming bicycle-based economic boycott.

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt called the planned protest “absolutely vile.” “This is antisemitism disguised as activism. It is Jew-hatred, plain and simple, and it should outrage every person of conscience,” he said in a social media post.

Attorney General Sunday said the boycott “is not simply a protest directed at the policies of Israel, rather it singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians based on their Jewish identity, targeting them for policies they have nothing to do with and no ability to affect because of their faith.”

The mayor said the Philadelphia Police Department will be on hand to “maintain safety and order” during the demonstration, adding, “Anyone who engages in threats, intimidation, or unlawful conduct will be held accountable.”

In response to the expected crowds near Rittenhouse, one of the area’s prominent Jewish congregations advised members to steer clear of the location and instead attend a Kristallnacht memorial event scheduled for Monday at the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza.

“As a small, fringe, antisemitic group plans to demonstrate on Sunday with a bicycle ride to boycott Jewish businesses, I want to offer us a way to respond that does not give the antisemites the attention they crave, that reduces risk of violent confrontation, that supports peace for the Jewish businesses, and that allows us to stand tall as Jews against the haters,” Rabbi Jill Maderer of Congregation Rodeph Shalom wrote on social media.

More on Leaders Condemn: Republicans and Leaders Condemn Ramaswamy's Amy Acton Ad