(USNewsMag.com) – Despite being a member of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as well as other Democrats are speaking out against the Oct. 8 rally that the group’s New York City chapter held to show support for Palestine.
On Oct. 8, supporters marched from Times Square down 42nd Street to Bryant Park, which is near the Israeli Consulate. They chanted and carried signs that said, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied,” as well as “Palestinian return by any means necessary.”
On social media, the Democratic Socialists of America blamed the attack on Israel, stating that it was “a direct result of Israel’s apartheid regime,” adding that Israel receives billions in funding from the United States.
Ocasio-Cortez, one of six U.S. House of Representatives members who are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, discussed the event, saying that shutting down “hatred and antisemitism where we see it” should not be hard. She stated that the “bigotry and callousness” expressed during the Oct. 8 rally “were unacceptable and harmful” at this time. Ocasio-Cortez said that the rally does not represent the New Yorkers who reject “Hamas’ horrifying attacks” toward innocent civilians and also reject the “injustices and violence Palestinians face under occupation.”
Another lawmaker who received DSA support and spoke at the DSA’s national convention in August, New York State Rep. Zohran Mamdani, spoke out against the Oct. 8 rally. Mamdani condemned the rally’s rhetoric that made light of the killing of innocent civilians.
On Oct. 7 on Twitter, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the rally as “abhorrent and morally repugnant.” During an Oct. 9 “Stand with Israel” rally held in Albany, Hochul told the group gathered at the Congregation Beth Emeth Reform Synagogue she would “find out” how to ensure they are safe when they gather.
On Oct. 7, Hamas killed over 700 people, injuring many more as well as taking hostages. As of Oct. 10, the number of people killed on both sides rose to at least 1,600, with thousands injured.
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