Democrats' Party Descends Into Chaos After Pro-Palestinian Protester Brawl

A holiday party hosted by local Michigan politicians turned into a pro-Palestinian protest that reportedly led to a violent shoving match resulting in one Democratic activist being hospitalized.

The incident occurred December 16 during a private holiday party hosted by the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party at the Common Pub in Detroit. Things quickly became raucous when about 20 to 30 pro-Palestinian protesters, part of the Palestinian Youth Movement and Party for Socialism and Liberation, entered the bar and confronted Representative Shri Thanedar over his support for Israel.

The metropolitan Detroit area has become a hotbed since Hamas launched a surprise attack in Israel on October 7, leading to protests and tension-filled situations between local Jews and Palestinians.

Thomas Becker, a spokesperson for Thanedar, told Newsweek via email that some 200 people were in attendance. No security was present, and the only people there before the situation escalated were party goers and venue staff. He had no further comment.

Wayne County Commissioner Jonathan Kinloch, who represents District 2, posted a 45-second video clip from the event on X, formerly Twitter. Pushing, shoving and yelling can be seen and heard in the footage, all taking place over gospel music in the background.

Kinloch said the pro-Palestinian supporters "caused chaos and mayhem," badly injuring local Black activist Bobbie Avington-Smith, a Democrat. She suffered two black eyes and was admitted to a local hospital for medical attention, according to Bridge Detroit.

Newsweek reached out to Kinloch via phone and email for comment.

Detroit Police Department spokesman Jordan Hall told Newsweek on Wednesday that the incident is still under investigation and that no arrests have been made.

"It was something we never expected," 91-year-old party attendee Bernice Smith told local ABC affiliate WXYZ.

One attendee told Deadline Detroit that protesters chanted, "Shri, you can't hide, we charge you with genocide," in reference to the thousands of Palestinian deaths in Gaza in relation to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

A video posted on Instagram by the account "detroit2palestine" shows former Detroit Police Commissioner Bernice Smith using her cane to defend herself against protesters.

Smith's son, Sterling Jackson, told Bridge Detroit's Malachi Barrett that he was the first person to jump into the fray because he feared for his mother's well-being.

"I started it because I couldn't believe they are doing this and nobody was doing anything," Jackson said.

On Monday, a joint press conference was held by Thanedar, Kinloch and other Democrats representing the 13th district who referred to the protesters as rioters.

"They didn't have a right to be there, first and foremost," Kinloch said, according to video from the press conference posted on X by Barrett. "It's not about whether or not they were being violent, whether or not they were being disruptive. They were not supposed to be there.

"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 no legal right to be in."

Kinloch added that there was no security because it was a holiday party aimed to be a celebration and nobody expected any protests or violence, adding that they put the safety and security of senior attendees at risk.

Any concerns about Thanedar's position on the war in Gaza could have been accomplished via other avenues, Kinloch added.

"This is not going to give you support for your cause," Thanedar said on Monday. "I welcome them to come to my office. I welcome them to invite me to town halls where I could come and we can have a dialogue."

Wayne State University, located near the pub, and Detroit police responded to the scene.

Last year, the city of Dearborn drew national attention when its residents elected Abdullah Hammoud as its first Muslim and Arab American mayor. Hammoud has been outspoken in support of the Palestinian cause the past two months, leading a city of about 110,000 residents composed more than half of citizens of Middle Eastern or North African (MENA) ancestry and mostly Arab.

Michigan, one of a handful of states expected to decide the 2024 presidential election, is home to about 90,000 Jewish residents and more than 300,000 residents of Middle Eastern descent.

A recent Newsweek poll of eligible Michigan voters found that about 46 percent of respondents disapprove of President Joe Biden's handling of the conflict.

In contrast, while Republican front-runner Donald Trump has led Biden in recent polls in Michigan, a statewide poll conducted in November found that Trump's various legal battles could determine his fate in next year's election should he be the GOP nominee.

Newsweek reached out to the Michigan Democratic Party via email for comment.

Update 12/20/23, 3:40 p.m. ET: This story was updated with a comment from a Detroit Police Department spokesman.