I’m usually the kind of person who associates far-left protests and demonstrations with big blue cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York. If people are chanting “from the river to the sea,” my first instinct is to believe they’re from the coast or Canada — not the Midwest, where Americans are more concerned with the finicky weather and hunting deer than with politics.

After this weekend, I have to concede that instinct appears to be wrong. (READ MORE: In Their Words: The Families of Hamas’ Victims)

My goal on Saturday afternoon was to enjoy a nice cappuccino (Italy has made me a convert) and finish planning Christmas gifts for my family and friends. The cappuccino was quite pleasant, and the four-way phone call to figure out sibling gifts was reasonably productive. Feeling a little victorious, I left the coffee shop to make an unplanned visit to a bookstore a few doors down. The next 20 minutes took a decidedly weird turn.

The bookstore was a small independent outfit more interested in advancing rainbows than good literature. So, after confirming that the book selection consisted of tomes by popular YouTubers-turned-authors and books banned from Florida’s public school libraries for good reason, I prepared to leave. (READ MORE: The Left’s Systemic Anti-Semitism: It Isn’t Just the UPenn President)

My progress was interrupted by the sound of a bullhorn and chanting protesters.

There were toddlers in strollers, women in hijabs, old men, and college students (some in masks), all waving green, white, black, and red flags, carrying cardboard signs, and repeating slogans yelled at them like some kind of bizarre marching cadence. There was something impressively frightening and adrenaline-inducing about the kind of mob mentality on display. The protest was militant, but not violent — although it felt as though it could become so at the drop of a hat.

I am no expert in political demonstrations. Most of the protests I’ve attended were of the pro-life persuasion, and those tend to be peaceful and prayerful. Take, for instance, the March for Life I covered two months ago in the same city. There were no military marching slogans, and most of the several hundred participants sang hymns in small, disjointed groups. (READ MORE: Achieving Victory in Gaza: Some Questions)

The comparison is worth making because it’s important to understand that the kinds of protests being organized by anti-Israeli leftists are completely different from those conservatives are accustomed to attending.