A holiday party organized by Michigan Democrats descended into violence after pro-Palestinian activists crashed the event and sent one attendee to the hospital.
“Those Arabs in damn Detroit tried to kill me!” said an activist who suffered two black eyes during the clashes.
On December 16, the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party held a private party at the Common Pub in Detroit, attended by approximately 200 people.
But it quickly descended into chaos when dozens of members of the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Party for Socialism and Liberation took to the counter and confronted Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.) about his support for Israel.
“Shri, you cannot hide, we accuse you of genocide,” they chanted, referring to the thousands of Palestinians who have died in Gaza amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
In the footage, gospel music plays in the background as audience members push each other and shout. One clip shows former Detroit Police Chief Bernice Smith using her baton to fend off protesters.
A holiday party hosted by Michigan Democrats descended into chaos after it was stormed by a horde of pro-Palestinian activists
Video posted on social media shows people pushing and shouting at each other
Community activist Bobbie Avington-Smith was sent to hospital with two black eyes. She took to Instagram Live after the event and exclaimed, “Those Arabs in fucking Detroit tried to kill me!”
Community activist Bobbie Avington-Smith was injured in the battle. She developed two black eyes and was admitted to a local hospital.
Avington-Smith later took to Instagram Live, visibly bloodied.
She called on “black men” to defend themselves against “the Arabs” who disrupted the event, urging them to “stand up.”
Metro Detroit is home to a significant Arab population. The suburb of Dearborn has the largest Muslim population per capita in the US.
Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch, who is also chairman of the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party, posted a shaky video of the event on X, formerly Twitter.
Kinloch, Thanedar and other Democrats spoke at a news conference Monday, where they labeled the protesters “rioters.”
“They had no right to be there in the first place,” Kinloch said.
Representative Shri Thanedar, a staunch supporter of Israel, told the protesters: 'This does not give you support for your cause'
Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch blasted protesters for showing up uninvited and said the well-being of seniors had been jeopardized
“The owner asked them to leave, I asked them to leave. They refused to leave, so they were removed from a place where they had no business and had no legal right to be.”
He added that there was no security as it was meant to be a celebration and no one expected any violence, endangering the well-being of the seniors.
Addressing the protesters, Thanedar said, “This will not get any support for your cause.”
He invited opponents to his office and town halls to “have a dialogue.”
The congressman has been a staunch supporter of Israel, and a statement on his website reads: 'It is now more important than ever before to demonstrate our unequivocal support for the State of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East and one of our closest and strongest allies around the world.”
A spokesperson for the Detroit Police Department said the incident remains under investigation and no arrests have been made. Dailymail.com contacted Kinloch for comment.
Last month, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters, injuring six officers
A Democratic lawmaker present at the DNC said the disorder 'scared me more than January 6'
An October Dailymail.com poll found that Democrats and Independents are especially strongly opposed to sending US troops to Israel
Saturday's conflict was not the first time violence has broken out during the war, with the counter-offensive killing more than 1,400 Israelis and killing 20,000 Palestinians.
Last month, pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police outside the Democratic National Committee headquarters.
The demonstration began as a candlelight vigil, held by Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now. Attendees planned to lay out 11,000 candles to represent the death toll in Gaza, the Health Ministry said since the conflict began.
But the event quickly spiraled out of control, leading to at least one arrested for assaulting a police officer. Six officers were injured in the incident by cuts, pepper spray and punches.
In a statement, Jewish Voice for Peace named police as the aggressors, writing: “Within moments tonight, police in Washington DC violently attacked peaceful anti-war protesters calling for a ceasefire.
“This is the U.S. government's response to those of us calling for the protection and preciousness of Palestinian lives. We will not back down!'
In the aftermath, a House Democrat who was at the DNC told Axios that the chaos “scared me more than January 6.”
“Someone told people to come (back) and the police said it's not safe,” the unnamed lawmaker said. “The police were wearing gas masks…this was not peaceful.”
A Dailymail.com poll conducted in October polled roughly 1,000 people and found that 53 percent of Democrats opposed sending troops to fight alongside Israel.
The figure was similar for Independents: 51 percent were against. Only Republicans supported sending troops, with 46 percent.