COLUMBUS, Ohio — Masked anti-Israel demonstrators escalated their harassment of Jewish lawmakers on the eve of the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, storming outside the Cincinnati residence of Ohio Democratic Rep. Greg Landsman. I set up camp.
Landsman said Monday that protesters arrived in front of his home early Sunday morning. By evening, they had set up tents, cots and sleeping bags on the road, forced police escorts to get in and out safely, and harassed him and his family throughout the night, he said. That’s what it means.
“On the eve of the first anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attack in which Jews were brutally murdered and kidnapped, these people, dressed in all black and fully masked, entered the homes of Jewish families at night. Here we come,” Landsman said. He said in a statement that he and his daughter had to move from camp to attend the Oct. 7 church service later Monday.
The group, Midwest Direct Action 4 Pali!, shared a video of the demonstration on Instagram. Video showed masked protesters wearing black marching down the street in front of Landsman’s home. Their faces were hidden as they carried white bundles resembling wrapped bodies and waved flags representing the death toll. Landman’s office said the group remained at the scene Monday.
“On the eve of the one-year anniversary of the start of the genocide in Palestine, local activists in Cincinnati gathered outside the home of Congressman Greg Landsman to hide the death toll and fund the genocide in Gaza,” the group said. We condemn his continued vote.” to that post. “We stand on high alert and pledge not to rest until the genocide is ended and Palestine is liberated.”
Mike Madanat, a spokesman for the group, told The Associated Press that it was unclear how long they would be staying at Landsman’s home and that they had no intention of leaving anytime soon. Mr Madanat said this type of decision is something that is considered “on a day-to-day basis”. He said the activists involved were members of a variety of organizations but were all “Cincinnati taxpayers,” and that Democrats were taking this action because they were “silent on our phone calls, our postcards, and our town hall appearances.” He said he was participating in the
Madanat said the activists were aware that they were in a residential area and had been working closely with Landsman’s neighbors and community, including daily talks with local police and residents to ensure their actions were legal. He said he is doing everything he can to respect it.
“This is not and never has been anything to do with religion,” Madanat said. “It’s strictly about the death toll, and lawmakers support that, the violence, the displacement.”
This is not the first time Landsman and his district have been targeted since the conflict began. Just a month after the conflict began, protesters posted a photo of Mr. Landsmann outside a building near his district office with the phrase “This Ken supports genocide” and other incitements. We put up posters with these words on them.
In July, Landsman toured Cincinnati’s Covedale Cemetery complex, where 176 Jewish headstones were toppled.
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Associated Press writer Bruce Sipkowski contributed reporting from Toms River, New Jersey.
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