Unrest Shakes Middle East Rallies In Naperville

NAPERVILLE, IL — Unrest broke out in downtown Naperville Sunday in what police are calling "isolated incidents" as supporters of Israel and Palestine clashed during simultaneous rallies in response to the conflict in the Middle East.

Naperville Police Commander Michaus Williams told Patch three people were cited for disorderly conduct in connection with the unrest. “They were involved with pounding on someone’s car on the street," Williams said, adding there were also reports of "verbal altercations."

Police are also investigating a report of a rock being thrown at a car.

One of the organizers for the Walk for Israel, Naperville Central graduate Daniel Raab, 21, shared a video with Patch that depicts some of the conflict. In the video, it appears a group of pro-Palestinian protesters grab an Israeli flag and attempt to set it on fire.

Williams said that incident is under investigation.

Raab told Patch one person held up a Palestinian flag as speakers addressed the Walk for Israel rally. “He didn’t cause us any problems, and we did not cause him problems," Raab told Patch.

Raab's sister, Talia, 17, who helped organize and spoke at the rally, told Patch, “Three cars were driving by waving Palestinian flags, honking their horns, playing music, trying to drown out my speech.”

Talia told Patch she received threats on social media ahead of the rally. “I’m disappointed in the Naperville community," Talia said.

As the group began to walk through downtown Naperville, they "were bantered at, screamed at and cursed at by multiple cars," Daniel said.

An hour after the Walk for Israel ended, the Raabs and a friend drove back to downtown Naperville. “We wanted to go with our Israeli flags on our windows and say nothing and show people that we were not afraid," Daniel told Patch.

“We realized that cars were starting to follow us," Daniel said. He told Patch people began to shake his car, bang the windows and reach into the sunroof to grab their flag.

"It was very chaotic, very scary," Daniel said.

Shortly after, the group flagged down Naperville police officers, who Raab said quickly intervened.

“We provided as much security as we could to try to prevent these two groups from meeting up,” Williams told Patch. “In the rare instances that they encountered each other, this is what occurred."

Patch made multiple attempts to contact organizers of the Naperville for Palestine rally; one organizer declined an interview due to privacy concerns. Patch also reached out to multiple people who attended the Naperville for Palestine rally. One attendee did respond, but declined an interview.

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