A pro-Palestinian protest in Philadelphia on Nov. 8 has been condemned by local and state leaders as organizers have vowed to target a half-dozen businesses.
Philly Bike On Your Left, a pro-Palestinian social cycling group, announced the event in a late October Instagram post, saying what they called certain "Zionist establishments" in the city "must go."
Organizers and supporters have called it an exercise of First Amendment rights and an effort to highlight ongoing death and destruction in the West Bank and Gaza. But critics – including area officials, as well as Jewish advocacy groups – have characterized it as an effort rooted in antisemitism.
"Everyone has the right to peacefully protest and express their political views," Philadelphia Mayor
Cherelle Parker said in a Nov. 5 statement. "But singling out businesses because their owners are Jewish is unacceptable and has no place in our city."
Critics have also pointed out that the event falls on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht, when Nazis attacked and arrested Jews, as well as burned and vandalized Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues in 1938. The bike boycott's defenders, however, have rejected the comparison and called the timing coincidental.
Here's what to know about the event.
What is happening at the event?
A day before the protest, Philly Bike On Your Left said it would be a non-violent ride to exercise the "First Amendment right to speak out against racism and genocide."
Participants are riding with Palestinian flags on their bikes to "show Palestinians in our community that we stand with them and that their lives matter."
The statement referenced the long history of political boycotts and said the event has been "grossly misinterpreted" since it was announced.
"Let us be clear: the reason we are calling for a boycott of these businesses is because of their support for Israel," it said.
The event was scheduled to start at Rittenhouse Square, a historic neighborhood in central Philadelphia, at noon on Nov. 8.
How are businesses responding?
Huda owner Yehuda Sichel, whose restaurant was among the establishments named by demonstrators, told Fox 29 Philadelphia the restaurant would stay open during the bike rally, calling the group's effort to target Zionist businesses "right out of the Nazi playbook."
Other organizations have also supported the targeted restaurants in the days leading up to the event.
JewBelong, a nonprofit organization that promotes Jewish inclusion, put up more than a dozen billboards calling for people to "boycott the boycott ride" ahead of the Nov. 8 event, NBC Philadelphia reported.
The Anti-Defamation League similarly urged people to sign a pledge committing to "show up visibly and proudly in support of the Jewish community" by dining at the affected establishments and other Jewish-owned restaurants in the city.
The league's Philadelphia chapter, along with other organizations including the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia and StandWithUs, also called the planned event "Jew-Hatred, plain and simple" in a Nov. 2 statement.
"Philadelphia must be a city where everyone can live, work, worship and conduct business without fear of discrimination," the statement said. "Jewish businesses are an integral part of our city's fabric, and they are not going anywhere."
How are officials responding?
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's office said the state police was working with local partners to "ensure the safety and wellbeing of our neighbors in Philadelphia."
"This bike ride, masquerading as a protest to advance the cause of justice, is nothing more than blatant antisemitism designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities, and there is no place for that in our Commonwealth," Rosie Lapowsky, Shapiro's press secretary, said on X.
Shapiro's home was firebombed while his family slept after a Passover seder in 2025. A man pleaded guilty to attempted murder, aggravated arson and terrorism in connection to the incident and said he targeted Shapiro because of his perceived stance on the Israel-Hamas war.
Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday also called the planned event "deeply unsettling" in a Nov. 4 statement, saying it "falls back on some of the oldest antisemitic tropes and tactics in history."
"This is not simply a protest directed at the policies of Israel, rather it singles out our fellow Pennsylvanians based on their Jewish identity, targeting them for policies they have nothing to do with and no ability to affect because of their faith," he said.
Such actions, in Sunday's view, are "unacceptable in a city that prides itself on brotherly love."
How are supporters responding to backlash?
Boycott CookNSolo, a separate campaign similarly targeting businesses tied to Israel, called references to Kristallnacht a "cynical take" and "intentional distraction" from the ongoing bloodshed in the West Bank, Gaza and elsewhere in the Middle East.
NYC for Palestine Cycling Club also posted a public statement in support of the bike protest. More than a dozen other groups, including Black Alliance for Peace Philadelphia, Philadelphia Healthcare Workers for Palestine, Philadelphia Palestine Coalition, Temple Faculty and Staff for Justice in Palestine and Writers Against the War on Gaza, signed a joint statement in solidarity with Philly Bike On Your Left.
The statement pushed back on what it called critics' conflation of Zionism and Judaism, rejecting the notion that businesses are being targeted because of the owners' religious identity.
BrieAnna Frank's role covering First Amendment issues at USA TODAY is made possible by a collaboration among Freedom Forum, Journalism Funding Partners and the USA TODAY Network. Freedom Forum does not provide editorial input. Reach BrieAnna at bjfrank@usatoday.com and @brieannafrank on X and Bluesky.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Philadelphia protest targeting Jewish-owned businesses condemned by leaders
