Black Lives Matter Org Praises Hamas, Sparks Backlash

Supporters of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement expressed distaste for the organization on Tuesday after a BLM chapter shared a statement supporting Palestinian people.

"I have been a Black Lives Matter supporter since the beginning. That ends today," Natalie W wrote on X, formerly Twitter, responding to the BLM Grassroots statement.

In a statement posted on social media, the BLM Grassroots chapter responded to the ongoing fighting between Hamas militants and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) saying, "As the world is faced with deep questions about self-determination, as well all desire and pray for a world of peace, we must stand unwaveringly on the side of the oppressed. When a people have been subject to decades of apartheid and unimaginable violence, their resistance must not be condemned, but understood as a desperate act of self-defense."

"Black Lives Matter Grassroots stands in solidarity with our Palestinian family who are currently resisting 57 years of settler colonialism and apartheid. As Black people continue the fight to end militarism and mass incarcerations in our own communities, let us understand the resistance in Palestine as an attempt to tear down the gates of the world's biggest open air prison," the statement said. "As a radical Black organization grounded in abolitionist ideals, we see clear parallels between Black and Palestinian people."

Shortly after the statement was issued, a number of other social media users spoke out against Black Lives Matter.

"Wow, I used to support BLM. I don't know if I can anymore. Do you guys even know what happened?" X user Aryeh Levine wrote.

On Instagram, others commented on the BLM Grassroots post with similar remarks.

"Wow I've supported this movement from the beginning. Phone calls. Emails. Money. Wow wow. Barbaric murders. Women children raped and paraded named. infants taken from there parents. Elderly murdered lived on Facebook. Raped and beaten women being sat on and spat on. That's justified? I'm for human life. Whatever you are. Blown away," one comment said.

Another comment said, "As someone who has followed and supported this account for a long time, I find this post to be incredibly miseducated. I do not condone the way that the Palestinian people are treated, but this is not their fight. This is an act of aggression by an antisemitic terrorist organization, Hamas, that pre-exists the current conflict between Israel and Palestine. You can stand up against terrorists and still support a peaceful solution to the conflict in Gaza. Your explanation of what is currently happening is incredibly off base and, quite frankly, offensive."

Other social media users also responded to a post from BLM Chicago that said "I stand with Palestine."

Former White House official Ari Fleischer wrote, "This is disgusting. BLM celebrates murder. Never forget this."

X user Aviva Klompas wrote, "Utterly sickening from Black Lives Matter in Chicago. And they have used an image of a paraglider like the ones who swooped into an Israeli music festival and murdered, raped, mutilated, and paraded beaten civilians back to Gaza."

A spokesperson for the Black Lives Matter national organization told Newsweek it is not affiliated with BLM Grassroots or BLM Chicago.

The ongoing fighting between Hamas militants and Israeli soldiers has resulted in over 1,500 deaths, according to the Associated Press.

Newsweek reached out to BLM Grassroots via email for comment.

Update: 10/12/23, 8:13 a.m. EST: This story has been updated to include more information about BLM from a national organization spokesperson.