Thousands of demonstrators from community organizations and faith groups marched through the streets of Livingston, N.J., Sunday in one of the region’s largest demonstrations since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The march was a show of solidarity with Israel in a 30,000-person community where nearly half the population identifies as Jewish. For many of those gathered, Sunday’s demonstration wasn’t only a call for peace, or a gathering to mourn after Oct. 7’s surprise attack of Israel by Hamas. It was also a demand for Israel to destroy Hamas.
“This attack has made it clear that just like ISIS had to be eradicated, there’s no negotiations, there’s no discussions,” said Moshe Glick, who is one of the seven community members from the Livingston area who formed the ad-hoc MetroWest Israel Action Committee.
The group organized the march with the Jewish Federation of Greater MetroWest NJ.
“This is terror. And terrorists need to be destroyed, eradicated from the face of the earth, just like ISIS was,” Glick said.
That message was repeated in speeches before the crowd Sunday and in conversations among protesters, some of whom had their children alongside them. They gathered at the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah, and walked more than a mile along Route 10 and South Livingston Avenue, with the crowd stretching out along most of the route before attendees amassed at a park near Livingston’s municipal building.
Marchers sang the U.S. and Israeli national anthems, and recited the Shema (a foundational prayer for Jews) as law enforcement officers from the Essex County Sheriff’s Office and Livingston Police Department walked alongside them.
The demonstration was peaceful, with no significant counterprotests as have been seen in some large rallies in New York City.
As the group passed the Sweet Kneads bakery on South Livingston Avenue, owner Ridhima Sood handed out bottles of water and kosher cookies. Sood said she’s not Jewish, but many of her customers are,…
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