Philly Jews and their allies buried a bike protest under a mountain of takeout orders and street heckling Sunday, turning an attempted boycott of Jewish restaurants into a massive show of solidarity on the eve of Kristallnacht’s anniversary.
Pro-Palestinian cyclists from Philly Bike On Your Left and allied groups rolled into Rittenhouse Square targeting spots including Mac Mart, Goldie, Dizengoff, K’Far, Huda and Schlesinger’s Deli. Flyers screamed, “No business for Zionists” and branded owners “disgusting humans.” Organizers insisted it was purely about Israel, not Jews, and denied picking the date on purpose. Police put the bike contingent at roughly 200, with total protesters around 300.
Hundreds of counterprotesters and customers from across the East Coast showed up in response. Lines snaked around blocks for hours. Customers waited 90 minutes or more just to grab a bowl of mac and cheese or a falafel. Supporters waved Israeli flags, flipped off the riders, and shouted, “This is America, not Nazi Germany” and “Shame!” One New Yorker who drove down called the boycott “the biggest bust” imaginable and joked the protesters had turned the restaurants into “rock stars.”
Jewish organ...