‘Shame on Jews, cancel Israel,’ keffiyeh-clad woman yells during San Francisco disruption
A “tax the Jews” chant erupted Wednesday during an anti-capitalist protest in San Francisco organized by the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter.
At an event hosted by San Francisco mayor Daniel Lurie, the protesters initially chanted “tax the rich.” As the disruption continued, video footage captured at least one woman yelling “tax the Israel” followed by “tax the Jews.”
A separate video showed the keffiyeh-clad woman yelling “shame on Jews” and “cancel Israel.”
Wednesday’s disruption is just the latest instance of anti-Semitism intertwining with anti-capitalist efforts. At its biennial convention in August, between “Free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF” chants, DSA adopted a resolution that made “organizing in solidarity with the Palestinian cause a priority until Palestine is free.” It also affirmed its commitment to a Palestine Liberation Organization creed that asserts the “right to resistance” and designates “Jerusalem as the capital” of a Palestinian state.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani’s (D.) DSA membership was a focal point during his campaign last year—as were his anti-Semitic remarks, such as defending the phrase “globalize the intifada,” a popular chant at anti-Israel protests that calls for violence against Jews worldwide.
The San Francisco DSA chapter said in a statement that the woman seen chanting was a nonmember who joined the crowd and “spouted disgusting anti-Semitic remarks.”
“We want to be clear that whatever hate she holds isn’t shared by DSA members and we categorically reject antisemitism,” the statement continued.
But Rudy Gonzalez, the secretary-treasurer of the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, which represents multiple unions, said several DSA members participated in the chants.
“During today’s press conference, individuals identifying themselves with the Democratic Socialists of America disrupted the event with antisemitic chants,” Gonzalez, who participated in Lurie’s event, said in a statement.
The DSA chapter also said its members and other protesters asked the woman to stop, but she refused. One person present, however, told the New York Post that the anti-Semitic chants lasted for about two minutes before “petering out” and that no one in the group stopped them.
Lurie’s event was intended to detail a proposed tax cut on large real estate purchases as part of an attempt to build housing units approved for construction but delayed due to “economic infeasibility,” according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
After the disruption, Lurie released a statement condemning the chants.
“Suggesting that Jews are wealthy is a tired trope, and targeting our community at an event focused on creating economic opportunity for San Franciscans is decidedly antisemitic,” he wrote. “I will never accept hate directed at the Jewish community or any community in our city.”
Lurie’s office, the San Francisco Building and Construction Trades Council, and the San Francisco DSA chapter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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