Officers from the Tulane University Police Department and the New Orleans Police Department dispersed about 30 demonstrators protesting two soldiers of the Israel Defense Forces speaking at Chabad-Lubavitch of Louisiana on Freret Street on Monday night. The protest went on for just under an hour.
The protest, which began at 6:30 p.m., was organized by several New Orleans-based groups, including Together United Louisiana Students for a Democratic Society and New Orleans for Palestine. The protesters gathered on the street across from Chabad. Most of the protesters were not Tulane students.
Protesters banged on pots, pans and drums and chanted slogans including “from New Orleans to Palestine, occupation is a crime” and “death, death to the IDF.”
“We were out there to protest the IDF coming to New Orleans,” senior Rory MacDonald said after the protest. “We have a right to protest, and we need to stand up against the people who are perpetuating this genocide.”
A group of students, most of whom had directly come from Chabad, gathered across from the protesters, a few bearing the Israeli flag. One apartment on Freret played music loudly to drown out the protesters.
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TUPD Chief Frank Young moves away from demonstrators across the street from Chabad
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A police officer adjusts his radio as demonstrators rally against IDF troops speaking on campus
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Police move toward pro-Palestine demonstrators
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Officers stand watch at a demonstration outside Chabad
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Police scuffle with protestors on Freret Street
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A counter-protestor makes a phone call as pro-Palestine demonstrators disperse
After about 45 minutes, a TUPD police officer told protesters to turn off an amplifier before ordering another officer to handcuff a protester. The group of protesters surrounded the officers, banging on drums.
TUPD Chief Frank Young told the crowd an individual was “going to jail.” Demonstrators moved to block the police from exiting the crowd. After an officer was knocked to the ground, police retreated from the crowd and called for backup.
Officers attempted to grab several protesters, but it does not appear that anyone was arrested.
Shortly after, around 15 more TUPD officers formed a line in the street as protesters chanted, “Shame on you” to the police.
Just before 7:30 p.m., several NOPD cars arrived on scene and the protesters moved around the corner, away from Freret Street.
MacDonald was one of the protesters TUPD attempted to arrest.
“TUPD tried to arrest me on bogus charges,” MacDonald said. “I’m not guilty and I’m not sorry.”
Sophomore Asher Dayan arrived at the scene after the protest began. By the end of the protest, over 30 students had gathered in front of Chabad across from the protesters.
“I wasn’t just gonna let intruders invade our home,” Dayan said after the protest dispersed. “As a Jewish kid, you don’t want to grow up with protests being normal against you.”