As the Israel-Palestine conflict continues, demonstrations and counterdemonstrations continue to occur globally in support of Palestine and Israel. In the last 24 hours, protests have been reported in the United States, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Tunisia, Libya, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Japan, and Turkey. Physical altercations and arrests were reported at several of these demonstrations. Demonstrations at US, French, Israeli, and British Embassies in Lebanon, Jordan, and Iran experienced attempts to breach barricades but were ultimately stopped by security forces. Following an explosion at a Palestinian hospital on Tuesday, Hezbollah leadership called for a “day of unprecedented anger,” which will likely increase the occurrence of protests globally. Upcoming demonstrations will likely result in traffic disruptions and could lead to physical altercations and arrests. Major cities are at an elevated risk where law enforcement or counterdemonstrators are significant. Institutions representing Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, and Muslim communities remain at an elevated risk of being targeted for protests and potential vandalism. Government buildings, such as embassies, also remain at an elevated risk of being targeted for protests. Please refer to the list below for details on upcoming events.
MSA Intel will continue to monitor the situation and provide relevant updates.
October 18, 2023
- Tallahassee, FL - 7:30 p.m. EDT - Cascades Park, S Gadsden St
- Springfield, MA - 3:30 p.m. EDT - 1550 Main St, Springfield, MA 01103
- Washington, D.C. - 11:00 a.m. EDT - Capitol Hill, exact location TBA
- Portsmouth, NH - 5:00 p.m. EDT - Market Square
October 19, 2023
- Pittsfield, MA - 4:30 p.m. EDT - Intersection of Merrill Rd and Plastics Ave, in front of General Dynamics
- Buffalo, NY - 2:00 p.m. EDT - 100 Coventry Rd
- San Diego, CA – 7:00 p.m. PDT - Bonita Cove Park, 1100 W Mission Bay Dr
October 20, 2023
- St. Louis, MO - 6:00 p.m. CDT – Art Hill, Forest Park
- Ozone Park, NY - 2:00 p.m. EDT - Front of 24/7 Laundromat 7402 101st Ave (Ozone Park NY 11416)
- Washington, D.C. - 12:00 p.m. EDT - National Mall, 3rd St between Madison and Jefferson
- Utica, NY - 4:00 p.m. EDT - Utica City Hall to Oneida Square
- Baltimore, MD - 6:00 p.m. EDT - Baltimore City Hall
- Green Bay, WI - 3:30 p.m. CDT- Leicht Memorial Park
- Knoxville, TN - 4:30p.m. EDT - Market Square
October 21, 2023
- Anchorage, AK – 3:00 p.m. AKDT – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Living Memorial (Corner of L St. & 9th Ave)
- Providence, RI – 1:00 p.m. EDT – RI State House Steps (82 Smith St)
- Philadelphia, PA – 5:30 p.m. EDT – Civil Hall
- Bayridge, NY - 2:00 p.m. EDT - 72nd St and 5th Avenue
- Tallahassee, FL – 12:00 p.m. EDT - 400 S. Monroe St. (S. Monroe St. and Apalachee Pkwy)
- New Hartford, NY – 11:00 a.m. EDT – Commercial Drive (Consumer Square intersection) to Seneca Turnpike
October 22, 2023
- Atlanta, GA – 2:30 p.m. EDT – 200 Edgewood Ave NE
- Downers Grove, Il – 1:30 p.m. CDT – Downers Grove Main Railway Station
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Avoid protest locations and large public gatherings, when possible.
- Expect traffic disruptions throughout the area to continue until the demonstrations have concluded.
- Do not engage with demonstators as this could escalate the situation.
- Follow all directions from authorities and law enforcement.
- Monitor local news for reports of demonstrations or other disruptions
- Monitoring social media or online forums and acting upon credible threats and trends will allow security details and site managers to adequately prepare to deter any threats.
- Have a proactive plan in place to deter criminal activity while protecting employees and assets. Considerations include:
- Procuring additional security assets to augment existing teams.
- Conducting security system tests to ensure all systems are fully operational.
- Creating an evacuation plan in the event of widespread civil unrest or other events that could jeopardize safety.
- Reviewing key control and all emergency protocols with members of the organization.
- Reviewing cyber best practices (ensuring systems have the most current updates, compatible devices use multi-factor authentication, etc.) with members across the organization.
For more information on MSA Security’s high consequence threat solutions, click here.