Zionist driver attempts to run over pro-Palestine protesters in San Jose, police allow driver to escape
San Jose, CA – On the evening of Wednesday, October 7, a Zionist drove his car onto the sidewalk and directly into a crowd of pro-Palestine protesters that included families with young children. San Jose police then allowed the assailant to drive away without citing or detaining him.
The pro-Palestine protest began with more than 60 people outside San Jose City Hall to mark the third year since Al-Aqsa Flood, Israel’s escalated genocide in retaliation and the third year of resistance in Palestine and worldwide.
As people gathered, there was already a group of counter-protesters flying Israeli and Iranian monarchy flags and holding racist and Islamophobic signs that included slogans such as, “Fuck Islam.” Pro-Palestine protesters met the counter-protesters with chants of “Free, free Palestine!” and “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!” and repeated chants of “Shame!”
The rally then transitioned into a march to the notable San Pedro pedestrian street. The crowd chanted while many cars driving by honked in support. The march paused for a program of speakers at San Pedro Square.
Salem Ajluni of Human Agenda drew attention to the sustained upsurge of Palestine solidarity around the world, saying, “Gaza has gifted us with opportunities to expand and develop oppositional, political and cultural forces that will have large and lasting impacts and effects if we nurture and develop them to their full possibilities.”
Fadi Saba, a Palestinian educator and activist, encouraged the attendees to continue fighting and organizing for Palestine, stating, “It’s ‘Free Palestine’ until Palestine is free.”
Philip Nguyen, member of San Jose Against War (SJAW), highlighted the fight for Palestine in San Jose through SJAW’s divestment campaign, explaining, “We have a duty to apply mass pressure and get the council to do the right thing – to divest from genocide.”
Nguyen noted the divestment wins in Illinois, Minnesota and several Bay Area cities, saying, “The number of wins for divestment are growing, and we’re going to win in San Jose too!”
Dina Saba, president of Democrats for Palestinian Rights Bay Area, reminded the crowd that the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians has continued for decades, saying, “As a daughter of a Nakba survivor, we know that the Palestinian people have been terrorized, oppressed and dehumanized well before October 7, 2023.”
Panda Shim, member of Students for a Democratic Society at San Jose State University (SDS SJSU), brought attention to SDS’s campaign to kick war profiteers like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman off campus, saying, “On September 2, SDS successfully scared off Northrop Grumman from a job fair and it has not returned!”
Shim continued, “While thousands of people in Gaza are succumbing to malnutrition and Palestine is reduced to rubble, the war profiteers bathe in millions of dollars.”
Drusie Kazanova of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization reminded the crowd that resistance is justified under oppression, noting, “It is right to rebel, and the struggle continues now. There has been a global awakening where people from all walks of life look at the real face of the enemy and see it for what it is, and the ranks of the fighters joining the struggle against that enemy continue to grow.”
Kazanova continued, “Resistance to imperialism is a force that will never be snuffed out!”
When the crowd returned to the starting point at the corner of City Hall, the protesters drowned out the pro-Iranian monarchy, pro-Israel group with chants. During the end rally, a Zionist counter-protester suddenly drove his car over the curb and onto the sidewalk, attempting to run over the group of pro-Palestine protesters before being stopped by a member of San Jose Against War, Jack McCann.
Even as McCann stood directly in front of the car with his hands up, the driver continued to drive forward, making physical contact with McCann's body. Behind McCann, the crowd of pro-Palestine protesters included several families with young children.
The Zionist driver emerged from the vehicle wielding a metal rod or pipe. San Jose police, who had been present for the entire duration of the protest, allowed the driver to get back behind the wheel and drive away without citing or detaining him.
In a video statement released by San Jose Against War about the incident, McCann stated, “This was assault with a deadly weapon and could easily have turned into a mass murder. It is no surprise that this shameful, cowardly crime was committed by the same Zionists who showed up to celebrate three years of genocide and crimes against humanity.”
Referring to the police officers’ negligent handling of the incident, McCann continued, “Again, this comes as no surprise, as American cops regularly receive training from Israeli forces, and the City of San Jose has millions invested in genocide.”
San Jose Against War expressed plans to press charges against the driver and file a report with the City of San Jose's Independent Police Auditor about the incident.