On the three-year anniversary of the Hamas assault on Israel, various nonprofits and organizations opposing Israel organized demonstrations nationwide. Many participants waved Palestinian flags, shouted “long live the intifada,” and praised the ambush that resulted in the deaths of over a thousand civilians.
Protests erupted in New York, California, and other states, with organizations linked to the Singham network arranging larger rallies over the weekend to coincide with the anniversary of the attack.
At 12:30 p.m., the NYU Students for Justice in Palestine took part in a walkout at Washington Square Park as part of their “NYU WEEK OF RAGE,” declaring their unwavering commitment to Palestinian liberation in a social media post.
Meanwhile, a group of anti-Israel activists gathered at Columbia University around 2 p.m. where tensions simmered from the ongoing impacts of the Oct. 7, 2023 attack. As students came and went through the heavily secured gates, protesters from The Columbia Intifada chanted “globalize the intifada” using a megaphone.
Columbia has previously stated that The Columbia Intifada is not officially affiliated with the university.
By 4 p.m., some protesters who had been at Columbia moved to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s office at City Hall, waving Palestinian flags and chanting in Manhattan’s Financial District.
Mamdani later addressed the anniversary, mourning for those impacted on Oct. 7, 2023, while condemning Israel for what he described as genocide in Gaza, stating that the suffering has continued with significant loss of life in the region.
On his agenda for the day, he planned to meet with “Palestinian New Yorkers” after attending a vigil for the Israeli victims of the Hamas attack.
In California, students associated with Justice in Palestine at UCLA gathered at Bruin Plaza delivering messages parallel to those heard in other cities. Some at UC Davis even referred to the date as the “anniversary of the al-Aqsa Flood,” celebrating the attack.
The Oct. 7, 2023 incident involved Hamas militants attacking southern Israel, targeting a music festival in a surprise assault that left about 1,200 dead. They also took over 250 hostages back to Gaza, marking the start of an ongoing conflict.
The coordinated demonstrations highlighted a well-established protest infrastructure that has been central to many anti-Israel rallies. Groups like the People’s Forum and CodePink have consistently participated.
On the day before, the People’s Forum worked alongside Shut it Down 4 Palestine to organize another protest scheduled for Saturday in Washington Square Park, aiming to “stand against three years of continued genocide in Gaza,” per their social media updates.
A Fox News Digital investigation revealed that Singham has financially supported the People’s Forum with over $22 million. Singham, a 72-year-old former tech entrepreneur, has directed $278 million into a range of nonprofits focused on various causes, including anti-ICE and anti-Israel initiatives, since 2017.
The Southern District of New York has opened a grand jury investigation into Singham’s finances, though he has not been faced with any charges to date.
Dr. Orli Peter, a trauma psychologist and founder of the Israel Healing Initiative, criticized the protests as manipulative. She noted that they shifted focus from mourning Jewish loss to promoting a political agenda, particularly on such a sensitive date.
“Demonstrating while Jews are mourning on Oct. 7 weaponizes the anniversary,” she said, emphasizing that it interrupts the potential for public empathy and responsibility toward Hamas.
She added, “It also showcases power over the mourners, sending the message that even in their most vulnerable times, they can be overridden.”
