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1000’s of pro-Palestine demonstrators swarmed Manhattan streets Friday afternoon — as an Israeli contingent a fraction of its measurement pushed again — the identical day an ex-Hamas chief issued a rallying cry for a world “day of Jihad.”
Helicopters whirled overhead because the protest started on CUNY’s Baruch School campus — beginning with a bunch of about 100 — with the protesters participating within the Friday afternoon name to prayer, noticed by practising Muslims.
Then cries of “Free, Free Palestine!” rang out within the crowd.
Protesters carried indicators bearing that very same message, in addition to, “The place is humanity? Palestinians are folks,” “Resistance is justified when persons are occupied” and “Resistance is just not terrorism! Free Palestine!”
Two folks have been arrested on the Baruch demonstration, two on the pro-Palestine facet and one member of the pro-Israeli opposing contingent, the NYPD mentioned.
A video posted to X exhibits a middle-aged man being detained by a bunch of law enforcement officials. Talia Jane, who posted the clip, mentioned that the person had been carrying flyers about folks “kidnapped by Hamas.”
He yelled, “Disgrace on you!” on the pro-Palestine group and slammed them as “not human,” Talia wrote.
The gang swelled in quantity because the group headed additional north, towards Occasions Sq..
As soon as they reached the busy vacationer hub, the pro-Palestine contingent chanted: “From the river to the ocean, Palestine might be free!”
“Not one other nickel, not one other dime, no more cash for Israeli’s crimes!” the group shouted. “Israel, you possibly can’t cover. You’re committing genocide!”
“Resistance is justified when folks face genocide!”
“Shut it down!”
One protester on the Palestinian facet, 23-year-old grad scholar Zara Okay. of Lengthy Island — who mentioned she has mates in Gaza making an attempt to flee — argued that the “Palestinian folks have been combating the [Israeli] occupation for 75 years now.”
“Individuals can condemn Hamas, however in case you’re going to sentence Hamas, you’ll want to condemn Israel’s crimes as effectively,” she informed The Submit.
Omair Sheikh, 37, from Pakistan, lamented that civilians on each side are “dying for no cause.”
“Proper now it’s disastrous for the civilians in Palestine,” Sheikh mentioned.
“It’s the identical factor for the civilians in Israel.”
“Israel ought to cease killing Palestinian civilians that aren’t even armed. They need to cease the conflict and have peace.”
A relatively small group of about 150 pro-Israeli protesters additionally assembled in Occasions Sq..
“Hamas is ISIS! Hamas is Isis!” that crowd yelled on the bigger meeting throughout the road.
“You assist terror! You assist terror!” they yelled.
“Terrorists! Terrorists! Terrorists!”
“Disgrace! Disgrace! Disgrace!” they screamed at a lady waving a Palestinian flag earlier than cops separated them.
“Zionist pigs! Zionist pigs!” the Palestinian group shouted on the Israeli facet, with one girl flipping the chicken at Israel supporters.
“Israeli terrorists! Free, free Palestine!
“P—y, come right here! Come right here, p—y!” a Palestine supporter hollered at an Israeli supporter who mockingly waved at him behind the barricades.
Scores of cops have been gathered within the space, the place barricades have been set as much as separate the 2 factions.
Police appeared to play a recreation of cat-and-mouse each time a protester crossed over to the opposing facet.
Linda Salamon, 62, a lawyer, described herself as “anti-Hamas.”
“I’m a baby of Holocaust survivors and I see one other Holocaust taking place,” Salamon mentioned.
“That is harking back to what occurred to the Jews in 1945 after they have been helpless. Thank God we’ve a rustic to go to. Israel is a results of the Holocaust. The truth that we’ve a homeland is one thing I cherish as a result of my dad and mom have been virtually killed.”
Salamon mentioned she is “very dissatisfied” within the name from former Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal for a world “day of jihad” Friday.
“I’m very dissatisfied that they’re declaring a day of jihad,” she mentioned.
“They went into Israel and attacked harmless folks. Hamas makes use of their very own folks to cover behind.”
“They need to be serving to the folks in Gaza,” added Salamon, who mentioned she has two sisters in Israel.
“When Israel goes into Gaza, they provide them a warning,” Salamon continued.
“[Hamas] gave them no warning.”
“I’m heartbroken about what’s taking place.”
When requested what she considered the opposite facet, she replied: “I assume everybody has a proper to protest however they’re misguided.”
By the late afternoon, the quickly rising group of Palestine supporters headed east, towards the Israeli consulate on Second Avenue close to East forty third Road.
It was not instantly clear what number of arrests, if any, have been made throughout the Occasions Sq. portion of the demonstration.
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