Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate outside Israel Philharmonic SF performance
Pro-Palestinian protesters demonstrate outside Israel Philharmonic performance in San Francisco
More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco on Sunday evening, protesting a performance by the Israel Philharmonic. The protest, which had dispersed by the concert’s conclusion, called for a cultural and academic boycott of Israel.
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered outside Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco Sunday evening, protesting a performance by the Israel Philharmonic. The protest, which had dispersed by the concert’s conclusion, called for a cultural and academic boycott of Israel.
"We’re here to protest their welcome here. They’re not welcome here," one protester said.
As concertgoers arrived, they were met with chants and signs from demonstrators. Some attendees reported being verbally harassed while entering the venue.
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"This is a political issue, and this is a cultural event," said Margarita Mekalina, who attended the concert. "There are a lot of elderly people, and they just don’t feel comfortable. This looks very aggressive to me."
Among the protesters was photographer Marie Durquet, who expressed mixed feelings about the demonstration.
"Part of me really feels like art is art, and we should all be able to enjoy it," Durquet said. "But at this moment, things are so bad that I feel like we have to take principled stances."
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San Francisco protesters gathered outside the Israeli consulate in San Francisco to condemn Israel’s recent airstrikes across the Gaza Strip and called for an arms embargo. The rally, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, highlighted concerns over escalating violence and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended the strikes, emphasizing that Israel targets Hamas terrorists and holds them responsible for civilian casualties.
The protest came amid renewed Israeli airstrikes over Gaza following the breakdown of a ceasefire deal involving Israeli hostages. Demonstrators cited the Israeli government’s support for the symphony as part of their reasoning for the protest.
"The symphony is somewhat of an ambassador for the government, receives funding from the Israeli government, and I would ask them, what does a children’s school in Gaza have to do with Hamas," said protester, Mindy Spatt.
Police maintained a presence near the entrance, working to keep demonstrators back as attendees filed into the concert hall. Some ticket holders arrived with signs of their own in support of the performance.
"They came to protest in front of the symphony because brilliant Israeli musicians are playing," said Inga Bevchim, a concert attendee. "Those are musicians. They didn’t come with weapons, they came with musical instruments."
A number of attendees also reported disruptions amid the performance by several protesters who were in the crowd. The concert-goers said they were eventually removed from the performance.
KTVU reached out to San Francisco police and the Davies Symphony Hall for information, but did not hear back in time for this report.