Pro-Palestinian protesters march to San Antonio mayor’s home, demand ceasefire resolution

In a bid to pressure San Antonio City Council to issue a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, Pro-Palestinian protesters aired their grievances Saturday afternoon at Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s doorstep — or at least the gates of his upscale neighborhood.

Roughly 100 protesters marched from the southwest intersection of Wurzbach Road and Northwest Military Drive to the gated community of Summerfield Estates, demanding Nirenberg call for a ceasefire and end San Antonio’s friendship city status with Tel Aviv, Israel.

Nirenberg spokesperson Bruce Davidson didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Other city councils nationwide, including those of Atlanta; Detroit; Akron, Ohio; Oakland, California; Providence, Rhode Island; and Wilmington, Delaware, have signed their resolutions calling for a ceasefire in the conflict.

The protest in front of Nirenberg’s neighborhood is the latest escalation by pro-Palestine protesters, who have been attending public speaking sessions at City Hall for more than a month.

Protesters gathered starting at 2 p.m. at the intersection carrying signs reading “Let Gaza Live.” The crowd chanted “Apartheid Ron.”

About an hour into the protest, Mike and Robin Fozano — self-described “exiled patriots” from San Diego who recently moved to San Antonio to “escape ANTIFA” — began heckling the demonstrators, accusing them of harassing the local Jewish community.

Indeed, Central San Antonio, not far from Shavano Park, boasts a large number of Jewish residents. Moreover, the protest’s first phase occurred across the street from the Barshop Jewish Community Center.

However, Destiny Lang, an organizer from the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s San Antonio Chapter, told the Current that the location had nothing to do with the area’s ethnic makeup.

“We chose that intersection as a gathering point because it was the only spot to safely gather that was both close to Ron’s house and had available parking,” she said.

The Barshop Jewish Community Center didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

‘They don’t belong here’

Later, organizers carrying a banner reading “Mayor Ron Pro Genocide” marched to the gates of Summerfield Estates to the annoyance of the some neighbors.

“They need to leave and let us live in our neighborhood in peace. They don’t belong here,” resident Lucy Ageros told the Current.

At least two police vehicles were parked inside the gated community during the protest. Despite the pleas of Ageros and other neighbors, SAPD didn’t interfere in the demonstration.

“They’re obstructing our entrance, our exit, and they need to be taken out of here,” Ageros said. “This is not peaceful when they’re blocking our entrance and our exit. It also hinders the safety of our public officials.”

The protest remained peaceful during its three-hour duration, however. No participants appeared to block traffic or cause damage to private property.

Protesters Faiza Nguyen, a Muslim, and Corrie Rosen, who’s Jewish, came together to light a menorah while others built a temporary shrine to honor the 18,000 Palestinians who have died since the conflict in Gaza began on Oct. 7.

“I was born, was raised and will die a Muslim,” Nguyen told the crowd. “And I have a Jewish sister over here with me, and she says, ‘Not in my name,'” Nguyen said, pointing to Rosen, who was carrying a sign that said, “Not in my name. Jew Against Genocide.”

“Judaism is not Zionism,” Rosen said into a microphone.

Eventually, six SAPD squad cars arrived at Summerfield Estates. However, by the time the officers arrived, the protesters dispersed. They said they had been tipped off that reinforcements were on the way.

Organizers said that they will continue to show up in mass at council meetings until their demands are met.

Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed

This article appears in Nov 29 – Dec 12, 2023.