Protest Against Selling Stolen Palestinian Land Held in Cedarhurst, NY

On Sunday, September 15, 2024, a protest took place in Cedarhurst, NY, against an event of selling land stolen from Palestinians in occupied Palestine. This protest occurred during a period of escalating violence in Gaza, where Zionists carrying out a genocide and ethnic cleansing. The demonstration, organized across from the Young Israel synagogue, was in response to the event that aimed to legitimize the sale of Palestinian property.

The protest attracted a diverse group, including anti-Zionist Jews and prominent Rabbis who openly condemned the sale. They viewed the event as a Zionist strategy to garner community support for the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land. Despite the peaceful nature of the protest, tensions quickly rose when pro-Israel individuals pressured the police to intimidate the protesters. In response, Nassau County police intervened, ordering the demonstrators to move a block away to a less visible and less impactful location, without offering any valid explanation.

The protestors, undeterred, continued to assert their First Amendment rights, highlighting that their peaceful demonstration posed no obstruction. However, police officers on horseback physically pushed and attacked the crowd, further escalating the situation. Protesters maintained their presence and resisted these intimidation tactics, even as some were forcefully moved, leaving behind their belongings. Officers promised to retrieve the items, but when one protester reported a theft, the police ignored the situation despite the thief being identified.

For over 90 minutes, organizers repeatedly asked to speak with a police supervisor, but their requests were continuously denied. Even when the Nassau County Police Commissioner arrived, he downplayed the urgency of the situation, telling one protester to “file a complaint” at the precinct after the event. When asked for a brief conversation, the Commissioner brushed off the request, claiming, “Everyone is a little busy.”

Adding to the tension, some Jewish anti-Zionist protesters stepped on an Israeli flag, in order to show the Jewish opposition to the state of Israel and their actions, which prompted the Commissioner to give an unusual order, accusing them of “littering” and demanding that they pick up the flag. The protesters refused, insisting that they would leave the area clean at the end of the demonstration.

In one of the final exchanges, when protesters once again requested to speak with a supervisor, the Commissioner responded, “Since you didn’t comply with my request, I will not fulfill yours.” Further concerns arose when officers refused to display their badges or IDs and asked demonstrators to stop recording the event.

These incidents have raised serious concerns about the Nassau County police’s behavior and their apparent siding with Zionist interests over the rights of peaceful pro-Palestinian demonstrators. Despite police attempts to suppress the protest, the voices of the demonstrators, including anti-Zionist Jews, remained strong and resilient throughout the day.