What began as a protest against Mini-Circuits, a long-established electronics manufacturer in Sheepshead Bay, turned into a broader community demonstration, drawing local leaders, residents and activists who said they would not allow outside groups to intimidate Jewish neighborhoods in south Brooklyn.
On Nov. 14, demonstrators with Palestinian advocacy group Pal-Awda gathered in front of Mini-Circuits, carrying signs and Palestinian flags. Organizers described the event as a rally against the company’s alleged ties to Israel, claiming it supplies electronics for Israeli military hardware. The group assembled in Holocaust Memorial Park, a site dedicated to survivors and their families, before proceeding to the building.
Al-Awda, also known as the Palestine Right to Return Coalition, is a U.S.-based, non-partisan organization that educates the public on the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties.
According to a flyer circulated by Al-Awda promoting the protest against Mini-Circuits, the group accused the company of producing missile and bomber guidance components for what it described as the “Zionist War Machine.” The flyer urged supporters to bring flags, keffiyehs and noisemakers.
During the demonstration, protesters held a sign calling to get “war profiteers out of our neighborhoods.”
In response, a coalition of south Brooklyn residents held a counter-demonstration on the opposite side of the block, waving American, Israeli and Georgian flags alongside signs in English and Russian.
Counter-protesters alleged those picketing do not call the area home.
“It’s absurd for them to claim it’s ‘Their neighborhood,” Sheepshead Bay resident Evette Jody Stark said.
Community members who organized the counter-protest said the demonstration was directed more at the neighborhood than the company itself.
“This is not about Mini-Circuits. This is a staged protest paid for by Al-Awda to come into Jewish communities, harass residents, and try to intimidate us,” said one counter-protester, who requested anonymity.
Assembly Member Michael Novakhov (AD-45) arrived with a truck outfitted with American and Israeli flags and loudspeakers playing patriotic music.
Ahead of the event, he posted, “Let’s show these useless idiots that this is our neighborhood and they are not welcome here!!!”
At the demonstration, he said, “I will always show up to defend our community,” adding that south Brooklyn is united against extremism and terrorism.
Assembly Member Alec Brook-Krasny, who represesnts a neighboring district with a large Russian and Jewish population, also attended. Other community leaders included Stephanie Benshimol, Karen Lichtbraun, Ronen Levy, Vlad Spector, D’Anna Andrea, Rabbi Melman of Temple Beth El in Manhattan Beach, and Holocaust survivor Mitya (Sam) Bykov.
Representatives of Brooklyn’s Georgian-American community, including Nikoloz Chkeidze, president of the Georgian-American Republican Alliance, and Kings County GOP Vice-Chair Svetlana Zelinskaya, were also present.
“On Erev Shabbat, they come into our neighborhood to intimidate people on their way to synagogue,” Benshimol said. Administrators at a nearby school dismissed students early due to safety concerns.
The protest comes amid heightened tensions related to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, which began after Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The conflict has resulted in heavy casualties in Gaza and Israel and has prompted protests and demonstrations worldwide, including in U.S. cities, as activists debate Israel’s military campaign, Palestinian rights and broader Middle East policy.
A long-standing business is suddenly targeted
Mini-Circuits, which has operated on Neptune Avenue since 1968, had not previously faced public demonstrations. The company manufactures RF and microwave technologies and sells products in nearly 200 countries, including the U.S., UK, India, China, Malaysia and Israel.
A representative for the business briefly stepped outside to thank counter-protesters and noted that Mini-Circuits is hiring but declined further comment.
Publicly available information from NGO Monitor describes Al-Awda as a registered 501(c)(3) organization that does not disclose its funders. The group has served as a fiscal sponsor for the BDS-aligned US Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (USACBI).
The group has faced scrutiny for overlaps with Samidoun, which the U.S. Treasury Department has labeled as a “sham” charity with connections to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, which the U.S. considers a terrorist group. As recently as October 2024, Samidoun’s international coordinator, Charlotte Kates, was listed on Al-Awda’s national board. The organization has also published statements endorsing “resistance by any means necessary” and expressing “unwavering support” for groups involved in the Oct. 7 attacks orchestrated by terrorist group Hamas.
Residents said concerns about Al-Awda’s political stance, rather than Mini-Circuits itself, were the primary reason for the protest’s location.
During the counter-demonstration, attendees chanted patriotic songs and slogans, including “USA! USA!” and “Am Yisrael Chai (the people of Israel live),” affirming Jewish identity and resilience.
Residents pledged to continue showing up if outside groups attempt to target the neighborhood, particularly on the eve of Shabbat. Novakhov added, “Antisemitic and pro-Hamas extremism has no place in south Brooklyn — not in our streets, not in our schools, not in our neighborhoods.”
Attempts to speak to protesters at the event were unsuccessful.
