Free Palestine protestors clashed with members of the LGBTQ+ community in Philadelphia, who were attempting to kick off Pride month Sunday with a parade.
In one of many videos posted online documenting the incident, a wave of Pride marchers in colorful outfits banging on drums were halted along their parade route by a group of pro-Palestinian members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Some donning keffiyehs, other donning leather straps and vests, the pro-Palestinian crowd halted the parade route to scream and yell at members of their own community.
One rainbow flag painted poster read: ‘No Pride in Genocide,’ the implication of which may have been that it is not appropriate to be celebrating Pride month as normal while the conflict in the Middle East still rages.
The protest was executed by Queers4Palestine, a minority faction within the queer community who have been extremely vocal these last eight months about the intersection of what they believe is the structural oppression of Palestinians and the historic prejudice faced by their community.
Reports of the disrupted Philly parade indicate that the protestors were chanting, ‘The more you try to silence us, the louder we will be!’ in addition to the more standard ‘From the River to the Sea’ phrases.
One protest leader, who wore a very short crop top, cargo pants that exposed his undergarments, and a keffiyeh, said to the crowd: ‘Pride as we know it cannot be separated from our current political and economic climate. Pride celebrations have merely become a public relations instrument.’
A relatively common question hurled at the queer pro-Palestinian protestors is why they so loudly voice support for a culture and people who reject their ways of life entirely.
LGBTQ+ people and sexual activity between men remain criminalized in Gaza.
Observers of these protests, especially ones that have seemingly pitted various members of one community against one another, are always quick to question the logic of LGBTQ+ support for the Palestinian cause.
‘I’d love to see them put on a pride parade in Gaza … stunning cognitive dissonance,’ one X user responded to footage of the clash.
‘You should march in Gaza,’ wrote another.
And another said: ‘QueersforPalestine had a change of heart,’ followed by laughing faces.
Conservative commentator Clay Travis broke down the situation by saying: ‘Pro Palestine protesters blocking the Philly pride parade from continuing is a perfect distillation of left wing politics. This is where it inevitably ends: with two left wing interest groups colliding in an oppression Olympics standoff.’
Meanwhile, as Pride month kicked off in the Big Apple, the Israel Parade was largely unaffected by pro-Palestinian protestors.
Extra security was provided for the march up Fifth Avenue, though no specific or credible threats were made ahead of the annual parade.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who has been an unwavering voice of support for Israel since the outbreak of the war with Hamas on October 7, attended the parade and said: ‘Our message is extremely clear. Destroy Hamas, bring home the hostages. Let’s bring peace, so we don’t lose lives of innocent people.’
He also noted that the loudest voices, meaning the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who have caused varying degrees of chaos across his city over the last eight months, are not the majority.
Most people, he said, support Israel and support the Jewish community.