Activists who launched an anti-Israel encampment at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, on Thursday stole an American flag from a pro-Israel counter-demonstrator and displayed obscene gestures toward others.
The activists swarmed a large grassy area known as Deering Meadow on Thursday morning, setting up tents. The university police withdrew, leaving roughly 50 anti-Israel demonstrators encamped — and a campus in disarray.
UPDATE:
— Richard Goldberg (@rich_goldberg) April 25, 2024
Northwestern police has withdrawn. Hamas campsite cheering as NUPD is pulled back by administration.
Flood of non-students arriving to camp. No attempt to stop non-students. Chicago-wide call issued by pro-Hamas activists to come.
Northwestern President Schill… https://t.co/Li1mAYF8aC
The Daily Northwestern reported that participants in the protest shouted genocidal slogans, such as “Intifada!” (referring to a violent campaign of suicide bombings and terror against Israeli Jews) and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” (implying the elimination of Israel and the removal or murder of its 7 million Jewish citizens.)
The Daily Northwestern also documented attacks on a handful of peaceful pro-Israel counter-demonstrators (original emphasis):
10:39 a.m.
A protester stole the American flag from pro-Israel counterprotesters across the street from Deering Meadow. The counterprotester asked NUPD to retrieve the flag from within the encampment.
…
12:20 p.m.
Three counterprotesters are standing to the side of Deering Meadow and holding an Israeli flag.
…
2:50 p.m.
Protesters are chanting: “Long live the Intifada.”
Michael Simon, the director of the Northwestern Hillel, the official Jewish students’ organization, noted Wednesday evening that the Northwestern student government had taken advantage of the absence of Jewish students during the Passover holiday to pass an antisemitic “boycott, divestment, sanctions” (BDS) resolution against Israel.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the recent e-book, “The Zionist Conspiracy (and how to join it),” now available on Audible. He is also the author of the e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
