Pro-Palestine protesters interrupt Philadelphia Pride March: 'No pride in genocide'

PHILADELPHIA (TND) — Pro-Palestine protesters interrupted the Philadelphia Pride March on Sunday, according to footage reviewed by The National Desk (TND).

Demonstrators stood in front of a drumline advancing toward the city’s "Gayborhood," a neighborhood which features rainbow signs and LGBT-owned businesses. The pro-Palestine protesters held banners opposing the march and denouncing Israel’s actions in its war against Hamas, according to videos on social media.

In one video, some Pride marchers can be seen arguing with the pro-Palestine demonstrators, appearing frustrated by their presence.

One pro-Palestine protester held a Pride flag overwritten with “No Pride in Genocide” and a red handprint while another banner linked a genocide in Sudan with conflicts in Palestine and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, according to footage. Another protester held up a sign reading, “Long Live the Intifada.” The demonstrators also recited pro-Palestine chants, shouting, “PPP, KKK, IOF are all the same,” referring to the Ku Klux Klan and Israel Defense Forces. It is unclear what the “PPP” chant referred to.

The Philadelphia Pride March coincided with a parade celebrating and supporting Israel in New York City, where some pro-Palestine protesters met attendees with signs reading “Kill Hostages Now” and “End Israel Apartheid," according to various reports.

Hamas still has more than 100 of the 240 hostages it captured on Oct. 7 when it attacked Israel and killed over 1,200 people. Israel’s response to the attack has sparked criticism, including in the form of demonstrations on college campuses across the U.S.

READ MORE | Bill Maher grills anti-Israel protesters for ignoring 'gender apartheid' in Middle East

Over the last several weeks, student protesters set up encampments to demand their schools divest from companies perceived as helping Israel in the war. Some graduates also walked out during recent commencement speeches and ripped up diplomas to protest their school’s investments.

Earlier this month, President Joe Biden committed to stop sending Israel weapons it could use in an offensive in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip. After Israel issued airstrikes in the city, CNN and CBS News concluded shrapnel from U.S.-made bombs was at the scene of the explosions.

The strikes killed 45 people, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the civilian deaths a “tragic mishap.”

Biden has urged Netanyahu to curb civilian casualties, telling the prime minister in April his ability to implement specific steps to address civilian harm would inform U.S. policy toward Israel. On Friday, the president discussed a ceasefire proposal that Israel offered to Hamas, which included a withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, the release of all hostages, the entry of humanitarian aid and a reconstruction of Gaza.

“As long as Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become, in the words of the Israeli proposals, 'the cessation of hostilities permanently,'" Biden said.

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