On September 27, almost one year into a genocidal massacre that has killed over 41,600 people in Gaza, and over 630 in the West Bank of Palestine, and as his army was terrorizing, bombing, and massacring people in Lebanon, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu (Netan-NAZI) spoke to the UN.
As he took the podium scores of delegates of different countries walked out in protest, leaving the General Assembly overwhelmingly empty while the UN Secretary General called for order.
And thousands of people poured into the streets in New York City over two days to demand an end to genocide and denounce Netanyahu.
Netan-NAZI’s Belligerence, Lies, and Genocide
It was well into his speech before Netan-NAZI even spoke to global outrage at nearly a year of Israel’s genocidal crimes. When he did, it was with lies so cynical, so ridiculous, so obscene that the effect was to tell the world Israel can commit any crime against humanity and do so with belligerent self-righteousness. To take just one instance, he claimed:
[N]o army has done what Israel is doing to minimize civilian casualties. We drop flyers. We send text messages. We make phone calls by the millions to ensure that Palestinian civilians get out of harm’s way. We spare no effort in this noble pursuit.
Israel uses massively destructive 2,000 pound bombs to demolish schools, hospitals, and homes. Those bombs, plus missiles, tanks and assassins, are targeting civilians, not minimizing civilian casualties. The vast majority of Palestinians killed in Gaza since October 7 have been non-combatants including over 15,000 children. Israel has systematically destroyed Gaza’s water system, roads, sewage system, and other infrastructure essential to human life, giving rise to polio and many other diseases in the densely packed tents of refugees.
Israel repeatedly bombs residential areas without any warning. And the phone calls Netan-NAZI brags about being made “by the millions” are psychological terror on top of mass murder, waking people up in the middle of the night ordering them to immediately flee to areas where they are often still targeted and killed. Just imagine – for a population of a little over two million, sending out millions of what are essentially death threats! On September 10, Israel used 2,000 pound bombs to massacre people in the densely packed tents in the Al Mawasi refugee camp.
Two Days of Diverse, Determined Outrage in the Streets of NYC
It was very important that thousands of people came into the streets of New York City to oppose this. They did so with passion, courage, and creativity, and in numbers that could not be whited out by the ruling class (mass) media.
The day Netanyahu was originally announced to be speaking, Jewish Voice for Peace blocked his route with civil disobedience. Twenty-five people were arrested including actor Rowan Blanchard.
Rallying in front of New York Public Library to protest Netanyahu's visit to UN, September 26, 2024. Photo: screengrab ABC news
On September 26, the day it had been announced Netan-NAZI would speak (he actually spoke the next day), one of the largest rallies was at the New York Public Library, followed by a march.
Authorities used deception and repression to keep protests away from Netanyahu as much as possible, including not announcing his speaking time and date. Protests that began on Thursday, September 26, continued late into the night. Police closed streets, attacked marches, and arrested people who tried to protest near the hotel where Netan-NAZI was reported to be staying.
Protesters against Netanyahu in the streets late at night in Manhattan, September 26, 2024. @WOLPalestine
Revcoms in the Mix, Agitating, Debating, Bringing Revolution
In this situation, inspired by examples at revcom.us and The RNL—Revolution Nothing Less!—Show, the revcoms and The REVCOM CORPS for the Emancipation of Humanity challenged the general public and those compelled to protest to intensify and spread the struggle. And, to dig into and confront the nature of the system behind this, the revolution humanity needs, and to urgently connect that with spreading Bob Avakian and his leadership, especially his social media posts @BobAvakianOfficial.
The revcoms, and The REVCOM CORPS for the Emancipation of Humanity were in the mix with a huge banner with Biden, Harris, and Netan-NAZI on one side, and a challenge to take up Bob Avakian official social media on the other with a QR code that got zapped in cell phones.
Revcoms at the rally at the New York Public Library in midtown Manhattan protesting Netan-NAZI speaking at the UN, September 26, 2024. revcom.us
Revcoms at anti-Netan-NAZI protest, September 26, 2024 revcom.us
In the midst of agitation, they got out 300 flyers with REVOLUTION #81 Why I am not running for President, and QR on the back to donate to the campaign to spread BA’s social media.
A few dozen posters got out, and in the process $236 was raised on the spot for the revolution. The posters ended up in the mix, and in the media, at different actions and events beyond where the very limited forces of the revcoms were able to reach, and made it into much of the mainstream coverage including local TV and AP.
Much learned, much, much more to do.
RevComCorps projects @BobAvakianOfficial on a university wall near main campus entrance, Columbia University, NYC, September 26, 2024. Photo: revcom.us
A couple days before Neta-NAZI was scheduled to speak, a crew of revcoms projected Bob Avakian’s social media message REVOLUTION #81, "Why I am not running for President" on the wall outside Columbia University, got it out in leaflet form, and raised money for the campaign to spread BA’s social media (including selling brownies). The revcom’s challenged students, “Are you swallowing the Kamala Kool-Aid...giving money, becoming complicit in crimes of this empire, when you can be doing something meaningful with your life and for the lives of billions?"