|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Thousands of demonstrators gathered in cities across North America and Europe over the weekend for Quds Day rallies featuring support for terrorist organizations, violent chants against Israel and the United States, and explicit antisemitic incitement.
Quds Day — Arabic for “Jerusalem Day” — takes place each year on the last Friday of Ramadan and is intended to mobilize support globally for the Palestinians. It was established in 1979 by then-Iranian Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini.
In New York City on Saturday, a large rally featured speakers and participants openly praising the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, as well as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Organized by anti-Israel groups including Pal-Awda, the Bronx Anti-War Coalition, and the Workers World Party, the march included chants of “Say it loud, say it clear, we support Hezbollah here,” followed by the same chant in support of Hamas.
We are horrified, but not surprised, to see protesters in the heart of New York City yesterday openly chanting in support of the Islamist terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah.
These are the same extremist ideologies that led to the 9/11 attacks. Anyone openly supporting… pic.twitter.com/agOBNdidGV
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) March 15, 2026
One speaker declared, “We proclaim our support for the Islamic Republic… We condemn to the absolute highest degree the U.S.-Zionist targeted assassination of the leader and martyr… Ali Khamenei. Martyrdom is our highest honor.” Other speakers praised the “heroic Al Aqsa Flood,” referring to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 massacre in Israel — the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
A speaker led chants accusing Jews of harming children, shouting “Stop eating babies, stop raping children,” reviving the medieval blood libel that falsely accused Jews of murdering children for ritual purposes. Demonstrators also displayed altered Israeli flags replacing the Star of David with the image of financier Jeffrey Epstein, promoting antisemitic conspiracy theories that portray Jews as secretly controlling global events.
In Chicago, protesters chanted “Iran, Iran make us proud” and “IRGC make us proud, bomb these genocidal clowns,” praising the IRGC.
Similar rallies unfolded across Europe. In London, several thousand demonstrators gathered despite strict restrictions imposed by authorities. Officials banned the annual Quds march for the first time, warning it posed a serious risk of public disorder and expressions of support for terrorism. Instead, police allowed only a static protest near Albert Embankment, meaning demonstrators could gather in one location but were barred from marching through the city. The rally was organized by the Islamic Human Rights Commission, a group widely reported to have ties to Iran’s regime.
Police later said 12 people were arrested during the demonstration. They were suspected of offenses including support for a proscribed organization and violent or threatening behavior.
Videos from the protest captured chants of “Death to America,” “Death to Israel,” “Smash the Zionist settler state,” and “Yalla yalla intifada.” British rapper Bobby Vylan, performing at the rally, led the crowd in chanting “Death to the IDF” — the same slogan he previously led during a performance at the Glastonbury music festival last year. Demonstrators carried Iranian regime and Palestinian flags, along with posters of Iran’s assassinated Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. One protester displayed a sign reading “Boom boom Tel Aviv.”
At London’s al-Quds Day protest on March 15, demonstrators chanted “Death to the IDF” after the government banned the march. Police said 12 people were arrested for “alleged support for a proscribed organization” and threatening or “abusive behavior”, and officers are… pic.twitter.com/UtzUA6yx9k
— Combat Antisemitism Movement (@CombatASemitism) March 16, 2026
Large demonstrations were also held in Canada. In Toronto, roughly 4,500 participants gathered outside the U.S. Consulate for a Quds Day rally that featured Iranian regime symbols and pro-Palestinian chants. Ontario Premier Doug Ford attempted to block the event through an emergency court injunction, warning that the rally had historically served as a platform for antisemitism and the glorification of terrorism. A judge ultimately allowed the demonstration to proceed.
From New York and Chicago to London and Toronto, this year’s Quds Day rallies again exposed the extremist rhetoric that has repeatedly accompanied the event — including praise for terrorist organizations, antisemitic blood libels, conspiracy theories, and explicit calls for violence against Israel.
Take Action
CAM has launched Report It — a secure app to report antisemitic incidents anonymously and in real time. Don’t stay silent — download it today on the Apple Store or Google Play. See it. Report it. Stop it. Together, we can fight this hate.
