Philadelphia counterprotesters respond to boycott of Jewish businesses

A bicycle rally organized to boycott Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square was met by hundreds of counterprotesters on Sunday. The activists targeted several establishments, including Mac Mart, K’Far Café, Huda, Goldie, Dizengoff, and Schlesinger’s Delicatessen, labeling them “Zionist establishments.”

While the boycott ride proceeded for approximately 60 to 90 minutes, counterprotesters significantly outnumbered the activists, at times forming a physical barrier between the riders and the targeted restaurants. The event saw a heavy police presence to manage tensions, which included some scuffles between the groups.

Organizers of the ride included Penn Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine and Writers Against the War in Gaza. However, the Philadelphia chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America issued a statement disavowing the event.