TOKYO: Pro-Palestinian activists in Japan held a protest on Saturday at an event hosted by Israeli-Palestinian influencer Nuseir Yassin, who goes by Nas Daily on social media.
Yassin is a travel vlogger who grew up in northern Israel. Despite his roots being Palestinian, the creator identifies as an “Israeli.”
At his promotional event, the protestors confronted Yassin and called him out for “whitewashing the genocide in Gaza.”
According to several eyewitnesses, Yassin laughed and mocked the atrocities in Gaza that were being listed by the protestors.
Nas Daily fans responded to the activists with insults and physical violence, which can be seen in widely shared clips on social media.
One of the demonstrators stated that Yassin was not “just another content creator,” he was also “a willing brutal tool of Israel’s propaganda machine.”
Other protestors held up signs which stated: “We don’t need influencers who are complicit in genocide” and “Jews for a free Palestine.”
Some attendees who initially joined to meet Yassin ended up turning against him, with one saying: “I came here for the event, but after listening to you and listening to him right now, I’m not on his side.”
“Basic humanity is to not laugh when somebody’s dying. He’s making a joke out of it,” he added.
Yassin posted a video of the incident on X, saying that he was “excited” that protestors had shown up at his meetup.
“I told them I agreed with them. I also want a Free Palestine from Hamas. Free Palestine from terrorism. Free Palestine from radical religion. They disagreed. They just wanted a Free Palestine from Jews,” he added in his post.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Israeli government has waged war on the densely populated Gaza Strip, which led to the deaths of at least 42,289 people and 98,684 injured.
According to the UN, Israel has also banned the entering of food and necessities to Northern Gaza since October, putting 1 million people at risk of starvation.
In its most recent attack, Israel struck a hospital courtyard on Monday, sending flames sweeping through a packed tent camp for displaced Gazans.
The Israeli military said it targeted militants hiding out among civilians, without providing evidence.