The Black Lives Matter Chicago chapter on Wednesday deleted a controversial pro-Hamas tweet, but doubled down on its support for the Palestinian cause as Hamas launched a violent terror attack on Israel.
The BLM Chicago chapter posted a graphic online Tuesday that said, “I stand with Palestine.” The graphic also featured a paraglider with the Palestinian flag, which is notable because Hamas terrorists paraglided into a music festival in Israel and attacked the attendees.
Hamas launched a terror attack on Israel from Gaza over the weekend on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, the final day of the annual High Holy Day cycle, resulting in over 900 deaths and at least 2,500 wounded. At least 22 Americans were also killed during the violent terror attacks.
The BLM Chicago group deleted the post on Wednesday, saying it was not “proud” of the post but reaffirmed its support for the Palestinian cause.
“Yesterday we sent out msgs that we aren’t proud of,” BLM Chicago said online. “We stand with Palestine & the people who will do what they must to live free. Our hearts are with, the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely.
Yesterday we sent out msgs that we aren’t proud of. We stand with Palestine & the people who will do what they must to live free. Our hearts are with, the grieving mothers, those rescuing babies from rubble, who are in danger of being wiped out completely🇵🇸♥️🖤💚
— BLMChicago (@BLMChi) October 11, 2023
The BLM Chicago account then went on a tirade against “Zionists.”
“Zionists we know we hurt your feelings yesterday. We do sincerely apologize. And ya’ll are going super low, with really basic, boring, not clever, racism, zionism & violence & you are just organizing people for us,” the account posted. “Are you missing the more you act up the more followers we get?”
Zionists we know we hurt your feelings yesterday. We do sincerely apologize. And ya’ll are going super low, with really basic, boring, not clever, racism, zionism & violence & you are just organizing people for us. Are you missing the more you act up the more followers we get? pic.twitter.com/AQpZTeEWFS
— BLMChicago (@BLMChi) October 11, 2023
The group also claimed that “Israel’s terrorism created Hamas.”
“When we say Free Palestine, y’all say antisemitic & Hamas,” BLM Chicago wrote. “Israel’s terrorism created Hamas & Zionism is a betrayal of the peace of Judaism not those shouting against its genocidal effect on Palestine.”
When we say Free Palestine, y’all say antisemitic & Hamas. Israel’s terrorism created Hamas & Zionism is a betrayal of the peace of Judaism not those shouting against its genocidal effect on Palestine.
— BLMChicago (@BLMChi) October 11, 2023
However, the since-deleted pro-Hamas post is aligned with statements made by other BLM chapters and leadership.
For example, BLM co-founder Patrisse Cullors once called for the end of Israel at a 2015 talk at Harvard, according to a resurfaced video.
Further, Black Lives Matter Grassroots, which represents 26 local BLM chapters across the country, called the violent attacks on Israel an understandable “desperate act of self-defense.”
“When a people have been subject to decades of apartheid and unimaginable violence, their resistance must not be condemned, but understood as a desperate act of self-defense,” BLM Grassroots said in a statement.
Black Lives Matter Grassroots
Statement in #Solidarity with the People of #Palestine. pic.twitter.com/BgsQBAZdis— BLM Grassroots (@blmgrassroots) October 10, 2023
Jordan Dixon-Hamilton is a reporter for Breitbart News. Write to him at jdixonhamilton@breitbart.com or follow him on Twitter.
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