Anti-Israel activists were set to protest against an Israeli immigration event in New York City on Wednesday, but the organizing group canceled the demonstration soon after the commencement time passed.
Ahead of the protest against the Nefesh B’Nefesh Manhattan “NBN on Tour” event, Palestinian Assembly for Liberation (PAL-Awda) NY/NJ told supporters in an Instagram story to “stay ready” and “stay tuned” for the event’s location to be shared.
However, the next update given by the anti-Israel group was to cancel the protest, though the NBN had proceeded.
While the leading organizations canceled the event, according to local activists, a small contingent of pro-Palestinian activists attended.
Anti-Israel activists began sharing the event’s location after the protest was canceled, relating they had learned it from advertisements for counter-protests by Jewish groups.
Cancelled protest still a 'win'
PAL-Awda justified the cancellation, asserting that their announced protest had forced NBN “into the shadows” with a strict vetting process. Disclosure of the location of the event was limited to those who registered for it.
“Because of our announced protest, settler agency Nefesh B’Nefesh has been forced into the shadows. Their extreme vetting of attendees has hampered their outreach and vastly limited their ability to recruit settlers,” claimed the group.
“Although NBN is still holding their event, their reach and attendance has been diminished.”
Yet NBN said that it had made no changes in response to the planned protest, and the event unfolded smoothly with attendance levels as expected.
PAL-Awda assured supporters that the outcome of their canceled protest was still a “win,” and urged activists to join them at a similar protest on Thursday evening.
The anti-Israel group is poised to protest an Israeli mortgage company event in Queens on Thursday.
Pro-Israel groups are planning counter-protests against the Queens rally.