HomePoliticsHate and Chants: How #NoKings Rallies Turned Hostile in Philadelphia

Hate and Chants: How #NoKings Rallies Turned Hostile in Philadelphia

Sarah Johnson

Sarah Johnson

June 19, 2025

4 min read

Brief

Radical chants and hostility marred #NoKings rallies, revealing a dangerous mix of activism and aggression in America’s streets.

Last Saturday, beneath the iconic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art—where Rocky Balboa once triumphed—a different scene unfolded. Teachers’ union leader Randi Weingarten stood on a stage, fists raised, preaching "peaceful nonviolence" to a crowd rallying against President Donald Trump. The setting was meant to inspire, echoing the cinematic grit of a boxer’s victory. But the air soon crackled with something darker.

Chants of "Free, free Palestine!" and "From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever!" rose from a corner of the crowd. These weren’t just slogans; they carried the weight of recent violence, echoing words shouted by an activist linked to a deadly attack on Israel Embassy staff in Washington, D.C. The cries escalated: "U.S. imperialists! No. 1 terrorists!" and "Globalize the intifada!"—a call for uprising that chilled the air.

The #NoKings rallies, organized by the activist group Indivisible, were billed as a stand for democracy. Yet, beneath the surface, a coalition of radical groups—self-proclaimed socialists, Marxists, and communists—joined the fray. My reporting uncovered a network of 118 organizations fueling the protests’ most extreme elements, with combined annual revenues of $204 million. These groups, part of what I call the Woke Army, push anti-American agendas, from dismantling the "empire" to glorifying "resistance" by any means.

Banners told the story: "Amerika is the head of the snake" and "The Global Economy is Complicit in Genocide." Masked activists from groups like the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the Workers World Party waved their fists, their rhetoric veering from protest to provocation. When I filmed as a journalist, the response was swift and hostile. "Are you a Zionist?" one demanded. Another screamed, "Get your f---ing camera out of my face, you Mossad piece of sh--!" The irony was thick as they blocked my path while chanting for "freedom."

This wasn’t nonviolence. It was coercion, laced with sectarian venom. When Indivisible co-founder Leah Greenberg led a pledge of allegiance, the "Palestine Contingent" booed, drowning out her words. The scene revealed a fracture: a protest culture that’s not just performative but punitive, teetering on violence. These tactics mirror the dehumanizing rhetoric I’ve seen before—used against my friend Daniel Pearl, murdered by militants who branded him a spy before his brutal death.

America’s streets are becoming a stage for vigilantism, cloaked in the language of justice. While right-wing violence is rightly condemned, this left-wing aggression—fueled by donor dollars and political silence—often gets a pass. The #NoKings rallies, backed by a $2.1 billion political machine, aren’t just about Trump. They’re a battleground for ideologies that thrive on division. As I ran the Rocky steps, fists raised, I wasn’t celebrating. I was reclaiming the fight for what’s right—against hate, against dogma, and against fear.

Topics

NoKings ralliesPalestine ContingentWoke Armyanti-American protestsradical activismPhiladelphia protestspolitical violencePoliticsUS NewsActivism

Editor's Comments

When Randi Weingarten preached 'peaceful nonviolence,' the 'Palestine Contingent' chanted for intifada. It’s like hosting a vegan barbecue and serving steak—talk about mixed messages! The real story? These rallies aren’t just protests; they’re a stage for a Woke Army flexing donor-funded muscle. Who knew Rocky’s steps would host a sequel where the fight’s not in the ring, but in the streets?

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