Pro-Palestinian protesters staged a disruptive demonstration outside the vacation home of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) President Michael Tuchin on Thanksgiving Day. Video Posted online showed a group of about a dozen protesters hurling smoke bombs as an unidentified man approached the group outside the house in Los Angeles.
The event, captured in videos posted online, involved the detonation of smoke bombs, vandalism of the property, and the display of a banner reading: “F–k ur holiday! Baby killer.”
Approximately a dozen protesters, identified as members of the anticapitalist and anti-imperialist group People’s City Council-Los Angeles, were seen chanting slogans such as “Hey, ho, the occupation has got to go” and “F— your holiday.” The group claimed responsibility for the protest, referring to it as a “holiday wake-up call” aimed at AIPAC’s alleged influence over Congress members.
In addition to the smoke bombs, protesters dripped paint along Tuchin’s driveway and left symbolic representations of dead babies, covered in fake blood, on the property. The rally elicited condemnation from watchdog group StopAntisemitism, which described the incident as “horrifying” and questioned if further escalation, such as the burning of synagogues and schools, could occur.
AIPAC, a nonpartisan pro-Israel political action committee, has been a focal point of criticism since Israel’s military response to the October 7th attack by Hamas terrorists, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people. Progressive Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez had previously labeled AIPAC as a “racist and bigoted organization,” accusing it of destabilizing U.S. democracy. AIPAC, in turn, dismissed these claims as “tired lies and spin,” asserting its commitment to bipartisan support for the U.S.-Israel alliance.
The incident has raised concerns about the intensification of tensions surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, prompting questions about the boundaries of protests and the potential impact on diplomatic relations. The People’s City Council-Los Angeles has yet to face any legal consequences for their actions, and local law enforcement has been approached for more information. Additionally, attempts have been made to obtain a comment from AIPAC regarding the incident.
