As the death toll in the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict continues to rise, the Maine Democratic Socialists of America (Maine DSA) and the Communist Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) held a rally in support of Hamas in Portland’s Monument Square Wednesday evening.
The militant Islamist organization Hamas launched a multifaceted terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, crossing over the Israel-Gaza border, including an attack on a music festival that killed at least 260 people.
“The corporate media and politicians want the public to believe that Israel is simply defending itself from ‘terrorism’ — that’s a lie,” Zach Campbell from Maine DSA, the rally’s emcee, said in his opening remarks.
“The actions of the resistance over the course of the last day is a morally and legally legitimate response to the occupation,” he said, referring to the Hamas offensive that killed over 1,300 Israelis.
Campbell led several chants to be echoed by the gathered crowd of socialists, including “When Palestine is occupied, resistance is justified,” and “Netanyahu you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”
A lone counter protester, Tyler Washburn of Harpswell, stood to the side of the protest carrying a sign reading “Israel deserves our support #NoToHamas.”
“When I was in high school, I had an English teacher who said if you see injustice stand up to it,” Washburn said. “After the tragedy that we saw on Saturday in Israel, I wanted to make sure that in Maine’s largest city, Mainers could at least see that other voices were represented in this discussion.”
“Overwhelmingly Mainers oppose what happened and stand with Israel, and I’m here to show that support,” he said.
“When innocent children are massacred, when moms can’t go back to their kids, dads are gone — there’s a time and place to have a civil discourse, and unfortunately I don’t think tonight is the time to be cheerleading for a side that committed atrocities,” he added.
Maine’s Democratic officials have, with a few exceptions, avoided commenting on the protest.
Democratic Maine Congressman Jared Golden issued a statement condemning the “Free Palestine” rally in Portland earlier Wednesday afternoon.
“The idea that any organization or group of people would seize upon the tragedy taking place in Israel and the suffering of the Jewish community to present a false equivalency between the government of Israel and Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran would be almost laughable were it not so sickening given the atrocities committed against the people of Israel these past few days,” Rep. Golden wrote.
“The kidnapping and public abuse, and the murder of women, children, and the elderly, even babies – entire families killed in their own homes; these are the brutal actions of Hamas, a violent militant organization elected and supported by the Palestinians living in Gaza,” Golden continued.
“There is no equivalent evil in the comparably reserved but necessarily strong military response by Israel in defense of its nation and its people,” he wrote. “Most of us would expect no less, perhaps even more if this were happening in America, and in fact, Americans have been killed and taken hostage.”
At least 22 Americans have been killed in the Israel-Hamas conflict, with at least 17 others unaccounted for, according to the U.S. State Department.
U.S. Sen. Susan Collins also denounced Wednesday’s rally, saying that the left-wing organizers “should be condemning Hamas, rather than excusing these appalling tactics.”
State Rep. Austin Theriault, R-Fort Kent, who is challenging Golden in the 2024 race for Maine’s 2nd Congressional District, blasted Golden for not calling out his party’s association with the Democratic Socialists of America.
State Rep. Mike Soboleski, R-Phillips, who is also running to unseat Golden, issued a statement Saturday, Oct. 7, condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel as “horrific and unconscionable.”
“Just weeks ago, the Biden Administration handed over $6 billion to Iran. This kind of foreign policy maleficence is unacceptable and must stop,” Rep. Soboleski said. “Israel has the right to defend itself against these terrorist attacks. I will always stand with Israel. America must always stand with Israel.”
“Tonight’s rally in Portland is a display of unacceptable hate by the left. It may be in line with Portland’s values, but it’s not in line with common sense folks in the rest of Maine,” Rep. Theriault said in his Wednesday statement.
“This is a Democratic Socialists of America rally and Jared Golden has DSA ties,” Theriault wrote. “He should have spoken out against the fact that his colleagues and their affiliated socialist groups have been taking the pro-Hamas position since the Hamas attacks, but he’s been silent for days.”
“He can’t have it both ways. Maine doesn’t need someone like Golden who won’t confront the Democratic Socialists of America on these issues — it needs some simple, effective County common sense,” he added. “We don’t act like this in Maine.”
The Maine House Republicans issued the following statement Wednesday condemning Hamas’ attack on Israel:
House Republicans join the international community in condemning the brutal attack on the people of Israel by the terrorist group Hamas. Earlier this year, the Legislature recommitted itself to combating the global rise in antisemitism. We denounce the unjustifiable killing and injuring of Jewish and other civilians without prejudice. Please join us in praying for Israel.
Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree did not comment on the Portland rally, but issued a statement in response to the attack on Israel over the weekend.
“I am horrified by the attacks against the Israeli people and condemn them unequivocally,” Rep. Pingree wrote. “This unprovoked violence is unacceptable. Today the United States must stand beside the Israeli people on this difficult day and in the days to come.”
Sen. Angus King issued a similar statement on the attack, calling it “a deadly and dangerous escalation.”
Gov. Janet Mills told the Bangor Daily News when asked Wednesday about the rally that her “heart goes out to the people of Israel, Maine’s Jewish community and all impacted by the evil, unspeakable acts of terror carried out this weekend by Hamas”.
She did not comment directly on the rally.
Despite condemnations of the attack from Maine’s entire Congressional delegation and Gov. Mills, many of the state’s top Democratic politicians have remained silent on the conflict and have not yet responded to the left-wing groups’ Portland protest.
The Maine DSA is an active supporter of the Maine Democratic Party, yet as of Thursday Democratic State Senate President Troy Jackson (D-Allagash), the Maine Democratic Party, and House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross (D-Portland) have remained silent on Wednesday’s protest and the conflict.
Former Portland Mayor Ethan Strimling, who regularly attends Maine DSA meetings and was recently hired for a political podcast by News Center Maine, has not condemned Wednesday evening’s rally or commented on the ongoing conflict.
The DSA and PSL were not the only left-wing groups to rally support for Palestine — the Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter came under fire earlier this week when they shared an image appearing to represent a Hamas paratrooper with a Palestine flag.
BLM Chicago later deleted the post, saying “Yesterday we sent out msgs that we aren’t proud of,” while reaffirming their support for Palestine.
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="22645 https://www.themainewire.com/?p=22645">8 Comments
Let me get this straight. The Maine DSA, Strimling and the Maine Democratic Party has zero issue with Hamas and Hezbollah killing, beheading and burning babies, raping and killing civilians as long as they are Jewish. I am not shocked by this at all. Just as the Democrats had no issue with segregation, slavery, and the KKK. What I do not understand is why Jewish Americans waste their votes on the Democrats. What more proof do they need?
The members of DSA, PSL and BLM are all useful idiots including Comrade Strimling.
Hamas and other Islamic jihadist groups have formed an “Unholy Alliance” with various Marxist organizations because they are both totalitarian/authoritarian in their structure who both hate the West and the U.S. in particular.
For example, Nihad, nicknamed Jihad, Awad is the Executive Director of CAIR (Council on American Islamic Relations) a Muslim Brotherhood front group, He stated in 2015 that, “Black Lives Matter is our matter. Black Lives Matter is our campaign.”
Furthermore, there is no such historical entity known as Palestine or Palestinians who are essentially Arab refugees. They are a construct of Yasser Arafat and the KGB back in the 60s. But, don’t expect these street tools to do any legitimate research. They just do what they do best, protest a cause that they likely learned from their Far-Left university professors who couldn’t get a real job anywhere else.
Who told the Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by”? Donald Trump – seems that’s OK with every Republican.
Hamas is evil and remember that Iran is their biggest supporter. Iran’s biggest supporter is none other than Putin who Turmp called a “genius”.
Remember what happened in Israel also happened when Russia invaded Ukraine, the same acts of evil. There are thousands of Ukrainian captives being held in Russia right this very moment – including children taken from their parents. If you support Israel then you have to support Ukraine with the same dedication.
As the French said after 9/11, “we are all Americans now”. Well, we are all Ukrainians and Israelis now. We stand united against evil.
What’s fascinating to me is how many of my conservative friends are now proud to stand against Israel, and stand aside the groups they’ve lambasted for years (those mentioned in this article). I asked one why is it fine to kill babies, and even intone hitler and be happy Jews are dying. I got back three answers:
1. Jews run the world and cause all the problems, so we need to take down “the man”
2. Jews started it and deserve it
3. Read your bible and you’ll know the truth.
So, if I read the bible (I have a M.A. in Christian History, but I guess I have to read again cause I have the ‘wrong’ opinion of it?) I’ll find out why killing Jewish babies is wrong.
Its amazing to me the lack of intellectual discourse surrounding this situation and the readiness to jump on the bandwagon against Jews.
Here’s my response to that: 1. I’ve said for years and years and years: Hating Jews is the REAL pandemic facing America.
2. Jews need to stop voting Democrat. They don’t care about you, only your votes and that is well documented. (I had one say to me he is a Marxist because he is Jewish. I’m sorry you’re a lemming and put group identity over the fate of your group, and are willing to be a lemming jumping over the cliff to death.)
3. Jews are today, but Hamas has said others will be the target tomorrow. The entire world is next. When they come after Christians, yeah, these protestors will likely keep supporting Hamas. But, when they come after Buddhists, Asians, Hindus, atheists, will they stand in support of the group trying to kill them? Nah. They’ll be running like everyone. Being against Hamas isn’t about one group, its about everyone.
Insane that these basement dwelling halfwits have any kind of voice in the Dem Party and that not one delegate outside of Golden has the balls to call these idiots out.
There is no justification for murdering children, period, be it bullets or bombs. MLK and the civil rights movement didn’t move the needle by burning neighborhoods, babies, and families. Anyone who can, with clean conscience, support such evil is unfit to call themselves a member of society, let alone a legitimate party.
I am officially leaving the Dem party as of this week and may register as a Republican so I can vote in their primaries. The reality though, is that I will more likely become an independent and find my brothers and sisters in the middle where real compassion and intelligence exist.
#DraftBenShapiro
Fascists supporting fascists. Color me surprised.
That’s a nice photo of a couple of otherwise normal guys drinking coffee with “mayorstrim”. It would be beneficial for the normal guys to remember that when they’re having coffee with a nazi, there are 3 nazis at the table.
Strimling has been a boil on the butt of Maine for years. He’s nothing but a self absorbed huckster. WCSH should dump him now.