Video footage has emerged showing a gathering of left-wing, anti-war activists at the Teamsters Union’s Chicago headquarters on Saturday, engaging in a chant in Farsi expressing hostility towards America and Israel.
In the video obtained by The Free Press, approximately 300 activists convened over the weekend to hear from organizers discussing plans to potentially disrupt the Democratic National Convention in August. One clip posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday featured an organizer identified as Shabbir Rizvi from the Anti-War Committee Chicago leading the crowd in a chant.
Rizvi instructed the attendees to chant “Marg bar Israel” (Death to Israel) in Persian, which was echoed by the crowd three times. He then explained that the phrase could also mean “down with,” depending on the context.
Following this, a member of the crowd asked if they could chant “Marg bar America,” to which Rizvi enthusiastically agreed, leading the crowd in the chant twice.
While the event unfolded before news broke of Iran’s reported airstrike against Israel, another video clip captured the crowd cheering upon learning of the strike, according to The Free Press.
The gathering featured speeches from activists discussing their opposition to U.S. involvement in conflicts, with Milwaukee-based activist Omar Florez expressing gratitude for the enthusiasm towards protesting at the DNC.
Hatem Abudayyeh, identified by The Free Press, shared news of the reported airstrike by Iran against Israel, prompting applause from the crowd. He warned against U.S. intervention and emphasized the need for an anti-war movement to prevent escalation.
Israeli officials later confirmed that their military defense intercepted the majority of the incoming missiles. While the U.S. has stated its stance against escalation, Israel’s response remains pending.
