Dueling demonstrations outside San Jose City Hall on Wednesday night, the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks, turned confrontational, with a sign cursing Islam drawing community anger and a vehicle driving into an area where pro-Palestinian protesters had gathered.
What happened
San Jose police strung two rows of orange tape to keep the groups apart, according to the San Jose State student newspaper, the Spartan Daily, which reported that the pro-Palestinian rally was organized by San José Against War. Around the 6:30 p.m. start, the pro-Israel side, which included Iranian demonstrators, numbered more than 30 people and the pro-Palestinian side about 13, the paper said. Some people crossed the tape during the evening, and police told ABC7 both sides were confrontational toward each other.
A sign cursing Islam, held on the pro-Israel side, quickly circulated in the community. Later, a vehicle drove through the area where the pro-Palestinian group was demonstrating. Police told ABC7 the driver was picking up audio equipment and was not acting maliciously. Jack McCann, who said he was struck after he and others surrounded the car, told ABC7 he plans to press charges and said the driver went onto the sidewalk. Police said a car window was damaged, the investigation is continuing, and any charges would be up to the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office.
The pro-Palestinian group left City Hall around 7 p.m. and marched to San Pedro Square, the Spartan Daily reported.
Reaction
Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations' San Francisco Bay Area office, told ABC7 that the sign, phrases allegedly shouted at the event and the vehicle incident all crossed the line of free speech.
Mayor Matt Mahan called the vehicle entering the crowd concerning but did not condemn the signs. He urged residents to exercise their First Amendment rights respectfully, engage in good faith with people they disagree with and "turn down the temperature a little bit."