Three New York City Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) groups have walked back a joint Instagram post praising the Hamas terrorist attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. The City College of New York’s YDSA chapter and New York City Young Democratic Socialists of America both removed themselves from the post after criticism. The New School YDSA still featured the post on its account as of Tuesday.
The post celebrated the attacks and announced a protest at New York City Hall on Oct. 7. The three groups initially posted the statement jointly with other activist organizations.
What the Post Said
The Monday post celebrated the attacks and promoted the planned demonstration at City Hall. It was shared jointly by the three DSA chapters alongside other activist groups.
Criticism followed quickly. Screenshots posted online showed the backlash. According to news reports, the removals came after the post prompted criticism.
Which Groups Walked Back
New York City Young Democratic Socialists of America removed itself from the post. City College of New York’s YDSA chapter also pulled back. The New School YDSA kept the post up on its account.
| Group | Action |
|---|---|
| New York City Young Democratic Socialists of America | Removed from post |
| City College of New York’s YDSA chapter | Removed from post |
| New School YDSA | Kept the post up |
The Remaining Post
As of Tuesday, the New School YDSA still featured the post on its account. That means one of the three original signatories kept the full statement visible.
The protest remains scheduled for Oct. 7 at New York City Hall.
Why One Group Stayed On
The New School YDSA chose to keep the post up. The other two groups removed themselves. The exact reasons behind the split were not stated publicly.
The Protest Stays On
The protest at City Hall is still on. It remains scheduled for Oct. 7.
Whether the remaining group’s position holds is not yet known.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs free speech for all sides, including DSA groups that posted praise for the attacks, while opposing any attempt by platforms or governments to remove or censor that speech. The City College of New York’s YDSA chapter and New York City Young Democratic Socialists of America have removed themselves from the joint post, but the New School YDSA has kept it up. Both choices are protected under the paper’s strong defense of free expression, even when the speaker supports terror.
This story shows how the paper’s position operates in practice: individuals and groups are free to post what they wish, and others are free to criticize or walk away. The paper opposes any attempt to silence either side.
The reader should watch for attempts by platforms or governments to punish or remove such posts, whether through direct censorship or pressure on the platforms themselves. The paper will defend free speech wherever it finds it, for whatever cause.
See the a run of 14 images at the Washington Examiner.
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