Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania sharply criticized his fellow Democrats on Wednesday for failing to denounce anti-Israel protesters who clashed with New York City police outside Park East Synagogue.

In a post on X, the Democrat called the demonstrators a "mob of Pro-Hezbollah / Hamas s---heads raging against law enforcement and terrorizing the NYC Jewish community near a synagogue and day care." He questioned, "Where’s my party’s condemnation?" Fetterman shared video footage showing protesters confronting officers.

The demonstration occurred Tuesday evening outside the Upper East Side synagogue, which had rented space for the Great Israeli Real Estate Event promoting properties in Israel and the West Bank. Organized by the group Pal-Awda NY/NJ, about 100 protesters gathered on Lexington Avenue while several hundred more assembled nearby, surrounding the site. They waved Palestinian and Hezbollah flags, formed inverted red triangles, a symbol linked to Hamas, and chanted phrases including "Death to the IDF," "There is only one solution, intifada revolution," "End the settler Zionist state," "NYPD, KKK, IOF, they’re all the same," and "Israel should not exist."

Protesters attempted to dismantle metal barricades set up by police, leading to scuffles. Officers pushed back the crowd to maintain separation, and one NYPD officer suffered a leg injury requiring hospitalization. No arrests were reported. Water was thrown on officers from a nearby building during the three-and-a-half-hour event.

The protest marked the first test of a new New York City law mandating buffer zones around houses of worship to protect congregants. Passed by the City Council in a veto-proof majority and effective since April 25, after Mayor Zohran Mamdani's veto override, the measure requires police planning for protest-free access. NYPD enforced barricades to allow safe entry and exit.

Pro-Israel counter-demonstrators across the street waved Israeli and American flags and held signs reading "Anti-Zionism is a hate movement." Park East Synagogue issued a statement affirming its commitment to peaceful worship and thanking the NYPD for protection.

Mayor Mamdani, through a spokesman, opposed the real estate event for promoting sales in settlements but stressed support for safe worship access and First Amendment rights. Assemblyman Micah Lasher described the protest as antisemitic and aimed at instilling fear in Jewish New Yorkers.

Fetterman, a vocal Israel supporter, has frequently diverged from party lines on such issues. No prominent Democratic leaders had publicly condemned the protest as of Wednesday evening.