Using megaphones, wearing masks and carrying posters, dozens of anti-Israel protesters blocked the entry to Logan Theatre Monday night for the presentation hosted by the Simon Wiesenthal Center. The protest also spilled over inside the lobby.
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The protesters yelled "shame on you" to people attending a Jewish-sponsored event screening a documentary about the Hamas massacre of more than 300 people at the Nova Music Festival in Israel on October 7, 2023.
One Jewish man, who did not want to be identified for fears for his safety, walked into the building carrying a small Israeli flag.
"I did not say anything to anyone, as we walked up I did not look at anyone, I did not give anyone the finger, I simply walked up holding an Israeli flag," he said.
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The man, who is in his late 50s, said one protester tried to yank the flag from his hand. The next thing he knew, he was being attacked by several protesters.
"A group of them was swinging me around and threw me into a parked car," the victim said. "I was completely surrounded by maybe six or seven that started punching me in the head."
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Fortunately he was not seriously injured, but the attack has left him shocked and worried for the future of his Jewish children.
"I think it is disgusting you cannot walk down the street Jewish in 2024," he said.
The Jewish United Fund said since the October 7 attack on Israel, which killed approximately 1,200 people, nearly all civilians, and resulted in more than 250 hostages being taken by Hamas back to Gaza, antisemitic incidents in the United States have increased by 360%, including several in Chicago.
""Each step of the way, it's gotten worse and worse all in the same continuum, an attempt to push Jews aside physically and rhetorically and that is where we are right now," said Dan Goldwin, JUF public affairs executive director.
The Jewish United Fund is calling on local elected and community to speak out against an antisemitic movement that it says is becoming normalized. The JUF said more education on the history of Judaism is needed.
The victim said he believes the protesters should have actually come inside the theater and watched the movie to learn for themselves what happened at Nova Music Festival that day.