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A top Pennsylvania Democrat unloaded on antisemitic protesters who flooded Philadelphia’s iconic Rittenhouse Square over the weekend, saying that as an American Muslim he felt compelled to speak out.
A group calling themselves the Philly Palestine Coalition amassed in the leafy square, spreading slogans like “Abu Obeida Lives” — in reference to the deceased Hamas spokesman — and a speaker declared that “martyrdom is a commitment [and] a principle,” while others called for “intifada,” according to the Jewish News Service.
“I forcefully condemn the antisemitic rally that took place today in Rittenhouse Square,” said state Sen. Sharif Street of North Philadelphia — the first elected Muslim in the chamber, who is also running to succeed the retiring Rep. Dwight Evans, D-Pa.
“As an American Muslim, I feel compelled to say that Hamas is a terrorist organization and should be condemned — not glorified,” Street said in a statement. “Anyone calling for violence in the streets of Philadelphia is not advancing peace. They’re setting it back.”
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Street is notably the son of popular former Mayor John Street — who led the city through what he called a “neighborhood transformation” as technology and the job market evolved in the 2000s — and nephew of the late vendor-turned-activist T. Milton Street, who held the same State Senate seat in the 1980s.
Street’s comments mirror those of another prominent Pennsylvania Democrat, Gov. Josh Shapiro, who made headlines as a rare voice on the left speaking out against similar antisemitic behavior in 2025 at the University of Pennsylvania, just across the Schuylkill River from this weekend’s protest.
Street said in a statement that in light of Shapiro’s official residence in Harrisburg being “firebombed” and mass shootings at a Pittsburgh synagogue and AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, politicians must “unequivocally condemn antisemitism, racism and hate in all its forms.”
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“The small group protesting today may not wield much power in our city, but we have seen time and again the dangers of inciting violence,” Street said.
He recounted that Dr. Martin Luther King said, “hate cannot drive out hate — only love can do that.”
“During this time of increased violence, we must stand against the rising tide of extremism and do the hard work of building a peace where every person, Jewish and Muslim, Israeli and Palestinian, can live in safety.”
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In a previous interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer, Street offered more moderate views of the Israel-Gaza war than other Muslim lawmakers like U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., in the paper’s estimation.
“Guess what? Benjamin Netanyahu is not the only leader of a major country in the world that’s committed war crimes, because Donald Trump has done the same thing. But none of us would talk about getting rid of the United States of America as a country,” Street told a recent voters’ event.
Meanwhile, another Democrat seeking Evans’ seat offered more pointed words to the paper:
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“F— AIPAC,” said state Rep. Chris Rabb of the city’s Mount Airy neighborhood.
Pennsylvania State Rep. Martina White, R-Philadelphia — one of the city’s few Republicans in Harrisburg — echoed Street in a statement released on behalf of herself, Minority Leader Jesse Topper and GOP leadership.
“Instead of a peaceful protest, what happened in Rittenhouse Square over the weekend was overt hate heading toward acts of terrorism against our Jewish neighbors,” their statement said.
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“For a group to hang effigies of Israeli soldiers and call for martyrdom-style attacks is completely unacceptable and goes well beyond a civil protest. This is a clear call for terroristic attacks on people, including women and children. It cannot be tolerated.”
The Philly Palestine Coalition could not be immediately reached for comment.
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