Black Lives Matter Chicago walked back its inflammatory statements against Israel on social media Wednesday morning, but the group said it remained in favor of Palestine amid Israel’s war with Hamas.
In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the group admitted that it was not “proud” of the messages it sent out and acknowledged the families and civilian victims of the attack. At least 1,200 Israelis have been killed in the terrorist attack so far, according to the Associated Press. At least 22 Americans were among those killed.
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“Yesterday we sent out msgs that we aren’t proud of. We stand with Palestine & the people who will do what they must to live free,” the account wrote. “Our hearts are with, the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely.”
Yesterday we sent out msgs that we aren’t proud of. We stand with Palestine & the people who will do what they must to live free. Our hearts are with, the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely🇵🇸♥️🖤💚
— BLMChicago (@BLMChi) October 11, 2023
The group posted an image on social media of what appeared to be a Hamas terrorist in a paraglider with the caption, “I stand with Palestine,” on Tuesday, along with other chapters of the BLM movement. BLM Chicago, however, has separated from the original nonprofit group, which has not put out a statement on the war.
“That is all that is it!” BLM Chicago said in Tuesday’s post.
The group also posted a graphic of celebrities who have supported Israel and those who have supported Palestine. The people it chose who support Israel were all white and included Madonna, Sarah Paulson, and David Schwimmer. Those on the Palestinian side were all people of color, including Angela Davis, according to the Daily Mail.
BLM Grassroots, which represents dozens of BLM chapters, has also released a statement that stands with the people of Palestine, claiming there were many parallels between Palestinians and black people. BLM Grassroots has also severed ties with the original foundation.
“As Black people continue the fight to end militarism and mass incarceration in our own communities, let us understand the resistance in Palestine as an attempt to tear down the gates of the world’s largest open air prison,” BLM Grassroots posted Tuesday. “As a radical Black organization grounded in abolitionist ideals, we see clear parallels between Black and Palestinian people … For lasting peace to come, the entire apartheid system must be dismantled.”
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Other BLM chapters, including ones in Los Angeles and Detroit, have shared the BLM Grassroots statement. BLM Louisville said in an Instagram post on Tuesday, “We stand in love and solidarity with the Palestinian people,” noting, “It is without a doubt that imperialism must be dismantled if any nation is to know peace.”
Controversy has stirred in the United States since the Israeli conflict began, with pro-Israel lawmakers and groups condemning those domestically who have appeared sympathetic to Hamas, the terrorist organization that occupies the Gaza Strip and orchestrated the attack. The White House has stood in solidarity with Israel.
