Pro-Hamas Marches Sweep Cities Near Anniversary Of Oct. 7

Pro-Palestinian demonstrators held marches across major American cities this weekend leading up to the one-year anniversary of when Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,100 people in Israel.

In Washington, D.C., one man was taken to the hospital after lighting himself on fire Saturday night in Black Lives Matter Plaza. The Washington Post identified the burned man as Samuel Mena Jr., who other rallygoers said used “they/them pronouns” and included plans on a personal website “to demonstrate” this weekend “with as much of my conviction as I possibly can.”

Footage of the incident shared online shows police intervening after a man set fire to his left arm. Aaron Bushnell, another pro-Palestinian demonstrator, previously died after immolating himself in front of the Israeli embassy last February.

Protestors in Washington, D.C. eventually marched from the plaza to the offices of The Washington Post and then down 13th Street NW.

“Initially numbering in the hundreds, pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered earlier in the day in front of the White House as part of an international day of action that they described as marking ‘one year of genocide’ and ‘one year of resistance,” the Post reported. “Some held banners that read ‘FREE PALESTINE’ and signs that demanded an arms embargo on Israel, while others waved Palestinian flags.”

Demonstrators were joined this weekend by sister marches across the globe, including protests in Denmark, Switzerland, India, and Toronto.

In New York City, hundreds marched and chanted for a ceasefire in the Middle East as Israel faces a “seven-front war” against Iran and the regime’s proxies. Last week, Iran fired at least 180 missiles at Israel after Israeli forces launched a ground operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon.

In Chicago, a local ABC affiliate reported on demonstrations that were “a year in the making.”

“As their voices grew louder, so did the size of the crowd,” the local station reported. “Hundreds with the U.S. Palestinian Community Network came together, marking one year of their stance against Israel amid ongoing unrest in Gaza and Lebanon.”

Another march was held in Los Angeles.

“Hundreds of demonstrators held a pro-Palestinian rally in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon, chanting ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Long live the intifada’ as they protested Israel’s war in Gaza and Lebanon while marching from Pershing Square to City Hall,” the LA Times reported Saturday. “The anniversary will be marked by commemorations for the victims, candle-lighting ceremonies, demonstrations and counter-demonstrations.”

Demonstrators vandalized municipal buildings with spray paint to demand “free Palestine,” according to footage posted to X by freelance journalist Oliya Scootercaster.

The pro-Palestinian demonstrations follow a year with an historic rise of antisemitism in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 massacre. According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), the U.S. recorded 10,000 antisemitic incidents since the Hamas attack.

[RELATED: ‘Pro-Palestine’ Protests Are Rampantly Antisemitic]

Tristan Justice is the western correspondent for The Federalist and the author of Social Justice Redux, a conservative newsletter on culture, health, and wellness. He has also written for The Washington Examiner and The Daily Signal. His work has also been featured in Real Clear Politics and Fox News. Tristan graduated from George Washington University where he majored in political science and minored in journalism. Follow him on Twitter at @JusticeTristan or contact him at [email protected]. Sign up for Tristan’s email newsletter here.