Tensions Rise Philadelphia Boycott Ride: 3 Arrested Sunday
About 300 pro-Palestinian protesters and 200 pro-Israeli counter-protesters clashed in Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square on Sunday over a bike ride targeting six Jewish-owned restaurants. Police arrested three people. Officials and Jewish groups condemned the ride, which fell the day before the Kristallnacht anniversary.
Police in Philadelphia arrested three people on Sunday, November 8, 2026, as tensions rise in a Philadelphia boycott ride targeting six Jewish-owned restaurants drew rival crowds to Rittenhouse Square. The protest fell the day before the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht.
The Philadelphia Police Department said about 300 pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with roughly 200 pro-Israeli counter-protesters. One adult woman was arrested for assault, one adult man for disorderly conduct and a 17-year-old boy for assault on police, a spokesperson said.
Police said all demonstrators had dispersed by just after 1 p.m. ET. No property damage was reported.
Verbal confrontations in Center City
Officers formed a line to keep the groups apart before the ride began. Demonstrators waving Palestinian and Israeli flags traded heated words. "Show your faces!" one counter-protester shouted at a group of bikers, many of whom wore face masks, helmets and sunglasses.
In some areas the crowds overwhelmed the cyclists, forcing some to lift their bikes over sidewalks and out of the procession. Police officers on bikes monitored the scene.
Some of the targeted restaurants saw long lines of customers showing support, according to NBC Philadelphia's account of the day.
Who organized the ride
Philly Bike On Your Left, which describes itself as an "anti-fascist, anti-Zionist social cycling collective," organized the event. The group announced the boycott in an Instagram post in late October.
The named businesses are Mac Mart, K'Far Café, Huda, Goldie, Schlesinger's and Dizengoff. Half are owned by the Philadelphia restaurant group CookNSolo, whose Israeli co-owners have publicly supported and fundraised for Israel's military efforts.
The group has rejected the criticism. It said it was "grossly misrepresented" and is "firmly against racism and oppression of all forms, including fascism, antisemitism, islamophobia, and colonialism." Boycott organizers say their campaign opposes Zionism, not Judaism.
Condemnation from officials and Jewish groups
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker and Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday condemned the boycott. The office of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said the ride was "designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities."
Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Ill., called it "rank antisemitism, plain and simple." The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum said "antisemites chose that anniversary to terrorize Philadelphia's Jewish community."
Michael Balaban, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, said: "When people come to attack the Jewish community, we want to meet those attacks tenfold, a hundredfold with people."
The Jewish Federation, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee and StandWithUs urged residents to patronize the targeted restaurants rather than confront demonstrators. Before the ride, the nonprofit JewBelong put up more than a dozen billboards across the Philadelphia area.
