Senator Chuck Schumer’s recent speech urging Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resign and call for new elections has further exacerbated these concerns. Schumer’s call for the removal of a democratically elected leader of an ally in the midst of a war is unprecedented. Photo Credit: AP
NYPD Shuts Down Anti-Israel ‘Rage Playdate’ Protest Outside Sen. Chuck Schumer’s Brooklyn Home
Edited by: Fern Sidman
The NYPD swiftly intervened Saturday when a group of approximately 60 anti-Israel protesters gathered outside Senator Chuck Schumer’s residence in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, holding a unique and controversial protest that involved young children. According to a report in The New York Post, this event, branded as a “rage playdate,” was organized outside Schumer’s Prospect Park West building. It featured activities like coloring pages that depicted “Zionist bullies” and a message urging President-elect Donald Trump to cease funding for Israel.
However, the protest was quickly curtailed as NYPD officers blocked off the street and moved the crowd away, citing the lack of a required permit. Tensions between the protesters and the police soon escalated, with parents accusing officers of acting like “dictators” and chanting inflammatory phrases, including “KKK NYPD.” One protest organizer even threatened legal action, shouting, “I will sue the s–t out of you” at an officer, The New York Post reported.
The demonstrators, who brought along signs reading “Israel kills Palestinian children” and chanted slogans such as “Schumer, Schumer, you will see, Palestine will be free,” aimed their protests at both Schumer and U.S. support for Israel. Some organizers accused Schumer, who has been a prominent advocate for Israel, of enabling “genocide,” further intensifying the atmosphere outside his home.
In addition to the verbal protests, a children’s activity workbook featuring a cartoon character named Handala, created by Palestinian artist Naji al-Ali, was handed out to the young attendees. The report in The New York Post said that the workbook, distributed by the Palestinian Feminist Collective (PFC), featured phrases such as, “Children like me keep having their homes taken by the Zionist bullies.” This character and workbook reflect the contentious and often polarizing views embedded in the Palestinian advocacy materials distributed at the event.
The PFC, responsible for the workbook’s creation, was recently identified in a report by the Network Contagion Research Institute and the New York City Public School Alliance. The New York Post report noted that this report highlighted the PFC’s association with content connected to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), a group designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. government.
While the NYPD handled the crowd without any arrests or further escalation, the incident sheds light on the increasingly public and vocal displays of opposition against U.S. support for Israel, as well as the pushback from both community members and law enforcement. This protest also raises questions about how young children are being involved in highly charged political issues.
Senator Schumer’s office, when reached by The New York Post, did not immediately respond for comment on the incident.
