On October 8, 2023, the day after the Hamas massacre, Wilson praised [00:09:10] Hamas at a rally and march organized by the Philly Palestine Coalition in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also called for the death of more Israelis and promoted antisemitism. He was introduced [00:08:00] by anti-Israel activist Nour Qutyan as a Workers World Party (WWP) member.
Toward the beginning of his remarks, Wilson said [00:09:10]: “I think that we should all give an applaud right now to Hamas for a job well done.”
Wilson then equated [00:09:25] Hamas with Black slaves and Israelis as their “slave masters” who “woke up in the morning” to find their field hands had a “knife ready to cut their f**king throats.”
Wilson went on to say [00:10:06]: “As a Black man in this country, I am not here at all to make excuses, to be apologetic in any form or fashion for what Hamas did. All I can do is salute them for a job well done.”
Wilson continued [00:10:34]: “The United States of America has given the Jewish community, the Zionist community, any and everything that they wanted or want today.”
He also said [00:12:11]: “We hear the same old f**king story all the time. Israel has a right to defend themselves…How can you possibly say this is a war? The government gives Israelis whatever they want.”
Wilson said [00:14:06]: “Yesterday, I was late to the news. But when I heard it, I smiled. I don’t want to hear that bulls**t, two hundred and fifty, two hundred and fifty innocent Israelis are dead. F**k em! Kill two hundred and fifty more today!”
Wilson concluded [00:15:21]: “Again, I swear, I salute Hamas. A job well done.”
At the rally, Wilson marched with protesters and held a sign that read: “When people are OCCUPIED! Resistance is JUSTIFIED.”
On October 8, 2023, the day after Hamas terrorists murdered nearly 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped hundreds more, anti-Israel groups in Philadelphia held an “Emergency Solidarity Rally.” Chants during the march to the rally featured various calls for Israel’s destruction and celebrations of Hamas terrorism by using the euphemism “resistance.”
At the rally, activist Romance Albarqawi said during her speech: “What we saw yesterday morning was decolonization taking place!” The crowd cheered in response to this line as well as after another line when she said: “The resistance is justified!” Workers World Party activist Michael Wilson later said: “I think that we should all give an applaud right now to Hamas for a job well done!” The crowd again cheered in response.
On Saturday, October 7, 2023, approximately 2,900 heavily armed Hamas terrorists breached Israel’s border with Gaza. They executed numerous war crimes on civilians, including mass murder, beheadings of children, rape of men and women, torture, kidnappings and mutilation.
Hamas broadcast videos of their butchery on social media, often to victims’ accounts for families to see. Israel retaliated with a war called “Swords of Iron.” As of November 10, 2023, approximately 1,200 Israelis, the vast majority of them civilians, were murdered during the attacks. Hamas kidnapped 242 Israelis, including at least 30 children. At least 3,500 people were wounded, many severely.
A terrorist detained by Israel admitted he raped an Israeli woman when he broke into a kibbutz house during the October 7, 2023 attack. In March 2024, a former hostage of Hamas publicly stated she was sexually abused and tortured while in captivity.
For more information on the October 7, 2023 terror attacks, see the Canary Mission page on Hamas.
