ACT NOW! Protest ‘Boycott Ride’ Targeting Jewish Businesses Ahead of Anniversary of Kristallnacht; Demand Security

We must demand a public condemnation of this horrific display of hatred and intimidation against a minority group, as well as adequate security measures to protect those targeted.

An antisemitic bicycle rally in Philadelphia, dubbed the “Boycott Ride,” is set to take place Sunday, Nov. 8.

The timing of the rally is particularly disturbing. On Nov. 9-10, 1938, Nazi mobs rampaged through Germany and Austria, destroying Jewish-owned businesses, burning synagogues and attacking Jews in what became known as Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass.

Eighty-eight years later, a bicycle rally targeting businesses its organizers label “Zionist” is being planned in Philadelphia on the eve of that anniversary.

The rally is being organized by Philly Bike On Your Left in collaboration with Philly Writers Against the War on Gaza, Boycott CookNSolo and Philly Solidarity Calendar.

Promotional materials for the rally feature slogans including “No business for Zionists” and “These Zionist establishments must go.”

The owners were described as “disgusting humans.”

However, “Zionism” in this case, as in many others, is a euphemism for Jews.

As noted by Rafael Medoff, director of the Wyman Institute of Holocaust Studies in Washington, D.C., “Among the main targets of the protest is Schlesinger’s Delicatessen, a popular eatery in the center of Philadelphia. Family patriarch Joseph Schlesinger opened his first deli, in neighboring New Jersey, in 1930.”

“What does a pastrami on rye have to do with Israel or Gaza? Nothing, of course—unless you’re a Jew-hater, in which case every Jew and every Jewish-owned business makes you see red,” he writes.

Other targets include, among others, Dizengoff, Huda, Mac Mart, K’Far Cafe and Goldie. Indeed, many have no connection to Israel.

The Anti-Defamation League’s Philadelphia branch, American Jewish Committee’s Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey chapter, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and StandWithUs issued a joint condemnation.

“Let’s be clear: This is antisemitism. It is Jew-Hatred, plain and simple,” the organizations said.

Pennsylvania’s two U.S. senators, Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dave McCormick, also denounced the planned demonstration.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday said that its timing on the eve of the Kristallnacht anniversary is “unsettling.”

“By explicitly targeting businesses because their owners are Jewish, the organizers are engaging in a form of discrimination that falls back on some of the oldest antisemitic tropes and tactics in history,” he said.

“This 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.”

In defiance of the boycotters, supporters of the targeted Jewish-owned restaurants are organizing a community food crawl to boost business.

Meanwhile, the office of Gov. Josh Shapiro said it was coordinating with authorities.

“This 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,” a spokesperson told Fox News.

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, Gov. Josh Shapiro and the Philadelphia Police Department must act. They must publicly condemn the targeting of Jewish-owned businesses and take all necessary lawful measures to protect these establishments, their employees and customers from harassment, intimidation and violence. The right to protest does not include the right to threaten or intimidate.

Write to the authorities to condemn this outrageous and dangerous provocation!

Mayor Cherelle Parker: www.phila.gov/departments/mayor/mayors-correspondence-form/

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel: https://www.phillypolice.com/about/ppd-contacts/

Suggested text:

Dear [Title and Name],

I am writing to express my deep concern about the planned “Boycott Ride” targeting Jewish- and Israeli-owned businesses in Philadelphia.

The event’s promotional materials declare “No business for Zionists” and “These Zionist establishments must go.” They describe the Jewish business owners as “disgusting humans.”

The timing of this event is particularly disturbing, as it is scheduled just ahead of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 Nazi pogrom during which Jewish businesses, synagogues and homes were attacked and destroyed across Germany and Austria. The targeting of Jewish businesses at this time evokes deeply troubling historical parallels that cannot be ignored.

Such rhetoric and actions raise serious concerns about antisemitic intimidation and the safety of Jewish business owners, employees and customers.

I urge you to publicly and unequivocally condemn this targeting of Jewish businesses and take appropriate security measures to ensure that all affected establishments, their employees and patrons are protected and that such an event is not repeated. There must be a police presence.

Peaceful protest is a fundamental right, but harassment, threats and intimidation must not be tolerated.

Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]