20-year-old Palestinian activist Tarek Bazrouk was arrested following an eight-hour federal raid on his family’s home on May 7, and has been held without bail awaiting his upcoming court date scheduled for October 1.
Bazrouk was arrested just one month before his college graduation. He is charged with three federal hate crimes for allegedly attacking Zionist counterprotesters in New York City over the course of several months, with each count carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years if convicted. In late July, a campaign was launched demanding Bazrouk’s freedom as part of the struggle to free political prisoners and in defense of the justified rebellion against Zionism.
The three alleged attacks all occurred in the context of Zionist counterprotesters harassing and provoking pro-Palestine activists. The indictment cites the presence of Israeli flags and the Zionists “singing Jewish songs” to justify the hate crime charges. One Zionist who claims to be attacked by Bazrouk is a Columbia student who, along with his twin brother, are notorious for harassing and doxxing pro-Palestine students and calling for their deportation.
The Department of Justice also accuses Bazrouk of antisemitism by quoting alleged text messages from him without providing any context, and claims that he supports Hamas and Hezbollah, which they label as “anti-Jewish terrorist groups”. However, the two-page indictment from the federal court does not include these allegations.
Following his arrest, monopoly media outlets and ruling class politicians alike have spread rumors that Bazrouk has direct links to Hamas, a claim that has been spread by Zionists about the Palestine solidarity movement to justify harsh repression and to portray activists as “outside agitators”.
NYC Democrat Councilmember Robert Holden wrote on social media, “These protests weren’t just organic movements. They were infiltrated by individuals with ties to terror groups. It’s disturbing, dangerous and a wake-up call. The government must treat this as the serious national security threat it is.”
Bazrouk’s defense attorney, Andrew Dalack, has rejected any connection between Bazrouk and Hamas.
Such claims are rooted in a long history of Zionism attempting to conflate antisemitism with opposition to the Israeli occupation and genocide in order to defend its existence as an outpost of US imperialism. The vilification of national liberation struggles and particularly armed struggle takes on a hysterical tone from the imperialists and their mouthpieces because of the success of such movements in defeating US imperialism and its lackeys. Likewise, this hysteria is cast upon the pro-Palestine movement in an effort to split the movement and legitimize harsher repression against more active and conscious elements.
Support the Campaign to Free Tarek Bazrouk
The Free Tarek Bazrouk Campaign, launched in late July, is demanding that the judge give him a sentence of time served and grant his release immediately. The campaign is calling on people to follow @freetarekbazrouk for links, updates, and action items; sign the letter to the judge to grant Bazrouk time served; donate to Bazrouk’s commissary; and write Bazrouk a letter or send him books.
The campaign published a letter from Bazrouk’s sister, who wrote about him: “I know that his spirit is unbreakable, that he will be victorious and that this moment in time will not defeat him…. I hold onto hope, not only for his freedom, but for the freedom of his comrades who are currently facing similar state repression, who have also been silenced and stripped of their dignity. I hold onto hope for the freedom and liberation of our people in Palestine. I hold onto hope that our cries for justice are heard. Fighting for my brothers freedom and the humanization of political prisoners is a privilege I will carry every day.”
Photo: Tarek Bazrouk.
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