Hate speech in any language
Anti-Israel activists in Chicago on Saturday chanted “Hands off Iran!” and cheered on Iran’s attack on Israel hours after shouting “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!” in Farsi, the language of Iran.
The event, captured on video, took place after Hatem Abudayyeh, who heads the US Palestinian Community Network, told some 300 protesters that Iran had launched its drone and missile attack on the Jewish state, The Free Press reported.
“They believe that they will be in Palestinian — I don’t call it Israeli — air space between 2 and 4 a.m., which means about two to four hours from now,” says Abudayyeh, whose group is funded by WESPAC, a Westchester County-based nonprofit.
The activists were gathered at the Teamster’s union headquarters to discuss plans to disrupt the Democratic National Convention this August.
Abudayyeh said it was “incumbent” that Americans “stop the United States from expanding this war and hitting Iran. We’ve got to be the strong, powerful anti-war movement that we are.”
Video shows that immediately after making his statement, the crowd began to chant “Hands off Iran!”
Earlier in the day, activists in a “break out session” for the Anti-War Committee Chicago were taped taking part in disturbing chants that included “Death to Israel!” and “Death to America!” in Farsi.
The chants were taught to some 80 participants by organizer Shabbir Rizvi, who told attendees they could use the saying if they ever encounter “Zionist freaks.”
To teach the attendees, nearly all of whom are wearing black KF94 masks, the chant, he joked that it’s similar in pronunciation to “margarita bar.”
Then one person chimes in: “Can we get a marg bar America?”
Rizvi can be seen raising his hands in the air and leading the crowd like a conductor in a chant of “Marg bar America!”