AOC condemns NYC pro-Palestinian rally promoted by Democratic Socialists (DSA releases new statement)

On the same day that Hamas terrorists murdered hundreds of Israelis, most of whom were unarmed civilians, the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) announced a pro-Palestinian rally to be held the next day. This idea was so repugnant that Rep. Ritchie Torres called the DSA “an antisemitic stain on the soul of America’s largest city.” He added, “There is a special place in hell for those who glorify the cold-blooded murder of civilians and children.”

The NYC-DSA is planning to hold a rally tomorrow, glorifying the terrorism of Hamas as “resistance.” Never mind the hundreds of Israeli civilians and children who have been murdered, wounded, abducted, and terrorized. Their lives mean nothing to the DSA. Nothing.

The NYC-DSA is… pic.twitter.com/FDaWgBtGEJ

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) October 7, 2023

Even Gov. Hochul sounded off about what an “abhorrent and morally repugnant” idea this was.

The people of Israel are facing violent terrorist attacks and civilian kidnappings. I condemn plans to rally in Times Square tomorrow in support of the perpetrators of these horrific actions. The planned rally is abhorrent and morally repugnant.

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) October 8, 2023

But the rally goers were not dissuaded and Sunday a large group of them did show up to cheer on the “Palestinian freedom fighters,” i.e. Hamas terrorists.

Speaker at yesterday’s Palestine rally in NYC told the crowd “now more than ever is the moment” for all Palestinians and their global allies to “stand proudly in full support of the brave Palestinian freedom fighters!”

The crowd enthusiastically cheered. pic.twitter.com/oV2dyLYFht

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 9, 2023

They share Hamas’s goals:

Chants of “Free Free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” in Times Square. pic.twitter.com/T5LjNAUOkP

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) October 8, 2023

Rep. Torres knows what this means.

The DSA held a hate rally, chanting: “from the River to the Sea,” which is code for wiping Israel from the face of the earth.

Let that sink in. The DSA is calling for the destruction of the Jewish State amid the largest single-day massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. When…

— Ritchie Torres (@RitchieTorres) October 8, 2023

You may have seen this picture from the rally circulating on X. It wound up on the cover of the NY Post:

After Hamas committed a pogrom against Jews in Israel, killing over 700 innocent civilians, their supporters held a rally in Times Square, NYC, displaying a Nazi Swastika.

This makes it clear: Hamas is a neo-Nazi, antisemitic terrorist organization with the goal of erasing Jews… pic.twitter.com/gBRrHuEBeq

— Sacha Roytman (@SachaRoytman) October 8, 2023

AOC, who is the most high profile elected official endorsed by the DSA, didn’t attend the rally Sunday but she also didn’t try to stop it. She was asked how she felt about it by a fellow congressman (before the rally took place) and she said nothing.

.@AOC do you agree with these lunatics? Yesterday’s terrorist attack perpetrated by Hamas and sponsored by Iran is the fault of Israel? You should denounce this if you don’t agree with it. https://t.co/QKcNFHnqOo

— Mike Lawler (@lawler4ny) October 8, 2023

But after seeing what took place there she was clearly embarrassed, though it took her a while to say so. Late Monday she released a statement condemning it.

“It should not be hard to shut down hatred and antisemitism where we see it. That is a core tenet of solidarity,” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said in a statement to Playbook late Monday — her first comments on the rally.

“The bigotry and callousness expressed in Times Square on Sunday were unacceptable and harmful in this devastating moment. It also 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,” she said.

Not cheering on the murder of civilians seems like a low bar but AOC made it over and lots of DSA types in New York did not. Now, with their top elected official condemning the rally they promoted, the DSA is trying to explain itself:

New York City DSA released a new statement on its promotion of a pro-Palestine rally as more electeds knock the rhetoric at the event held Sunday pic.twitter.com/CAWLpqOQ4r

— Nick Reisman (@NickReisman) October 10, 2023

It reads in part: “On Saturday, in anticipation of escalatory violence to come, we tweeted a promotion of a rally in solidarity with the people of Palestine. We understand why many, including our allies, were shocked by the timing and the tone of this message in a moment of profound fear and grief.” We are sorry for the confusion our post caused and for not making values explicit.”

On the contrary, I think they did make their values explicit as did the people at the rally they promoted. They’re repulsive people who celebrate the murder of Jews.

.@ViralNewsNYC captured an unmasked photo of the man taunting pro-Israel NYC protesters with images of dead Israelis: pic.twitter.com/l3XworR8Sp

— Andy Ngô 🏳️‍🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) October 9, 2023

It makes you wonder what it would take for AOC to simply disassociate herself from the DSA. Apparently arranging a pro-massacre rally wasn’t enough.