New York City Mayor Eric Adams took a strong stance against anti-Israel protesters’ actions when they demonstrated outside of an Oct. 7 memorial for those lost in the Israeli Nova music festival massacre, calling it “pure antisemitism.”
The city’s top elected official prefaced his remarks by saying, “We must always protect the right to free speech,” but blasted those who held up Hezbollah and Hamas flags, both considered terrorist organizations by the United States, as well as protesters who carried a banner saying, “Long live October 7th.”
Adams also acknowledged that one protester said he wished Adolf Hitler “was still here” because “he would’ve wiped all you out.”
“I have a moral obligation to speak out when the messages that some New Yorkers are sharing go beyond the pale,” Adams said. “These are reprehensible and vile comments. I and every New Yorker who stands for peace, stand united against them. I always speak up for what’s right, and what we saw last night was wrong.”
Adams stopped a Tuesday press conference to produce the video and visit the exhibit.
“You do not call for peace and then come to a memorial site,” he told reporters at the exhibit. “That is like you are desecrating the graves of innocent people.”
Adams has been a prominent pro-Israel Democrat, while others in his party have been more understanding toward anti-Israel protesters. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), for example, has clashed with Adams over his handling of college campus pro-Palestine encampments in the city.
“Our message is extremely clear: destroy Hamas, bring home the hostages,” Adams said at an Israel Day parade earlier this month. “Let’s bring peace so we don’t lose lives of innocent people. Today you’re seeing solidarity. The loudest is not the majority in the city.”
Ocasio-Cortez did denounce the protesters’ actions in a Tuesday post on X.
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Israel’s war against Hamas is seemingly set to continue after a ceasefire offer was presented to Hamas and appears to be close to being rejected.
Some 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, most of them civilians, according to Palestinian officials.
