Fresno protests supporting opposite sides of Palestine-Israel conflict clash near River Park

Pro-Israel supporters, as well as a few alt-right agitators, gathered Thursday night as a counter protest to the continued pro-Palestine demonstrations that have been held near River Park since the weekend.

With pro-Palestine supporters on one side of Blackstone Avenue near Nees Avenue and pro-Israel supporters on the opposite side of the busy Fresno intersection, words often were exchanged between the two groups across traffic.

The two groups clashed up-close at one point after pro-Palestine protesters crossed Blackstone to wave their Palestinian flags while standing on top of the large River Park letters.

A few pro-Israel advocates responded by furiously waving their Israeli flags back before the pro-Palestine demonstrators crossed back to the other side of Blackstone amid a growing police presence.

Fresno Police were at the scene from the beginning to monitor the situation, and it appeared that more officers arrived during the up-close interaction between the two groups.

There were no reports of any physical altercations.

“Tonight, we had a situation that could’ve turned ugly,” Fresno Police Capt. Tom Rowe said. “Fortunately, calmer heads prevailed.

“There were a couple of flare-ups at different points when groups crossed the street. Officers were quick about separating the groups, with assistance from people in each one of those groups. That was very helpful.”

Traffic did have to be diverted momentarily because of people on the street near the Blackstone and Nees intersection.

But it eventually resumed, and cars that drove by often honked their horns.

Though there was no physical violence, Thursday’s protests weren’t exactly peaceful.

Insults were often exchanged between the two groups.

Among the snide comments made was a known local alt-right agitator calling Palestinian supporters “terrorists,” which was captured on his own live feed that was streamed on social media.

Some Palestine supporters later called the man a “Nazi,” which also was caught on the man’s live feed.

But for some in attendance, the demonstration wasn’t about flinging insults or confronting the opposing protest, but having their voice publicly heard regarding the Palestine-Israel conflict.

“I think it’s important to show that we do stand with Israel,” Dennis McCourt said. “There has been on the left, let’s face it, a lot of push-back against Israel and hatred. Anti-Semitism, really, is what it comes down to.

“And this anti-Semitism needs to be confronted. We love Palestinians, we love Jews, we love Muslims. It’s just a matter of recognizing what’s best for the Middle East, and we know that Israel is our greatest ally there.”

Reza Nekumanesh, executive director of Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno, said the pro-Palestine rallies have continued to be held to raise awareness and ultimately, have the United States take action in their favor.

“The goal is to get people together and then also leave with a plan to contact their congressmen and (congress)women to do something more,” Nekumanesh said. “This is about raising awareness, but we really need to shift policy.”

During previous Palestine protests in Fresno that were held without a pro-Israel demonstration nearby, tensions still grew and people were pepper sprayed.

On Tuesday, a man got into a heated debate with a Palestinian supporter then claimed he got pepper sprayed.

That incident was preceded by three Palestine supporters who were in a vehicle getting pepper sprayed by a man in a car.

The assault was captured on video and through still photos, which led to the alleged pepper sprayer Brian Lee Turner, 62, getting arrested and now facing hate crime charges.

The recent demonstrations in Fresno, as well as in several other cities across the United States, stem from the uptick in violence in the Middle East.

A top Palestinian diplomat has accused Israel of trying to commit “genocide” against Palestinian families due to recent airstrikes.

Israel, meanwhile, has claimed it has been acting in self-defense.

The United States has long supported Israel and committed in 2016 a $38 billion military assistance aid package to its Middle East ally.

This story was originally published May 20, 2021 at 9:45 PM with the headline "Fresno protests supporting opposite sides of Palestine-Israel conflict clash near River Park."