The boycott that failed: protest against Jewish businesses in Philadelphia met with massive opposition
An attempt to impose a boycott on Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia on the eve of Kristallnacht met with massive opposition. Dozens of masked cyclists were swallowed up by a crowd of counter-protesters who came to support the business owners. Police arrested at least one protester.
An attempt to impose a boycott on Jewish-owned businesses in Philadelphia met with a resolute civic response. Dozens of masked cyclists, who arrived to protest against restaurants and businesses in the upscale Rittenhouse Square neighborhood, were swallowed up by a large crowd of counter-protesters who came to support the business owners. The protest was timed to the eve of Kristallnacht. Social media posts circulated calling on six Jewish- and Israeli-owned businesses to leave the city. In response, users who opposed the protest compared its organizers to 1930s Germany. Supporters of the businesses filled the area, waved Israeli flags, and shouted at the protesters. Police arrested at least one protester. The mayor and the attorney general's office condemned the event as antisemitic. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) led the call to support the businesses.