Philly bike ride promotes boycott of Zionist businesses

Philadelphia, PA – On November 8, dozens of Palestine solidarity activists gathered at Rittenhouse Square in Philadelphia around noon for a bike ride protest in support of a boycott against several businesses that have aided Israel in their genocide against the Palestinian people. Despite hundreds of Zionist counterprotesters with Israeli flags attempting to block and harass the cyclists, the ride was able to occupy the busy streets of Center City and ride past some of the boycott targets. 

Activist and cycling group Philly Bike on Your Left called the protest in support of the ongoing boycott campaign Boycott CookNSolo, which targets restaurants owned by Zionist restaurateur, Michael Solomanov. Solomanov uses the profits and facilities of his restaurants, including Goldie, Dizengoff, Zahav, Laser Wolf, and others to fundraise money and support for pro-Israel lobbyists and groups. 

A few days before the action, Zionist forces caught wind of the event and ran to the corporate press to condemn it. Some city and state politicians including Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, and Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, released statements condemning the action, without any evidence, as “antisemitic” or “anti-Jewish.”

Among other obvious falsehoods, many such statements echoed AIPAC language, pretending that the bike ride was being purposefully held on the anniversary of Kristallnacht, an infamous pogrom against German and Austrian Jews. The historical German hate crimes occurred on the night of November 9, 1938, while the bike ride was planned for November 8th during the middle of the day. Such statements intended to hide the anti-Zionist purpose of the event from the public and whip up counterprotesters to show up in force against an antisemitism that was nowhere to be found. 

At the invitation of Governor Shapiro and others, hundreds of hateful right-wing demonstrators flooded Philadelphia on the day of the bike ride protest. The right-wing counterprotesters were overwhelmingly older white people who waved Israeli flags, dropped thumb tacks, and called activists, passersby, and local restaurant workers racial slurs. They formed lines around the boycotted business and tried assaulting the bikers as they passed by. 

Meanwhile, the riders circled around the streets of Rittenhouse, stopping at lights to chant “Free, free Palestine!” 

Another Palestine solidarity ride is scheduled for Sunday, November 15, at the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 12PM.

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