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Tensions Soar as Pro-Hamas Protesters Clash with Israel Supporters at NY Public Library
Edited by: Fern Sidman
Tensions flared in Midtown Manhattan as pro-Hamas and pro-Israeli demonstrators clashed outside the New York Public Library on Thursday night, as was reported by the New York Post. Amid calls for a cease-fire, the dueling rallies saw face-to-face confrontations, with some incidents escalating into direct verbal confrontations and symbolic gestures, the Post report added.
#NOW “Long Live Hamas! Long Live Hamas” – Protesters chanted at Jewish couple on NYC street outside of the NYPL (New York Public Library)
Video by Kevin RC Wilson [email protected] to license pic.twitter.com/IeedRzRvMp
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) December 21, 2023
The demonstrations drew hundreds of pro-Hamas, pro-terror protesters advocating for a cease-fire, while counter-protesters voiced their support for Israel. The report in the Post said that in a notable incident, two pro-Hamas demonstrators, concealed behind masks, repeatedly shouted “Long live Hamas” in the faces of a Jewish couple. The scene, documented in footage from the event, unfolded as police officers intervened, directing the openly hostile pro-Hamas pair to clear the area.
On both sides of the protests, demonstrators utilized symbolic displays to convey their stance. Pro-Israeli demonstrators waved the blue-and-white flag of Israel and held signs with messages such as “No ceasefire, eliminate Hamas.” Additionally, a pro-Israeli protester, adorned in a pullover resembling the Israeli flag, was observed carrying a ripped-up flyer featuring a swastika, according to the Post report. The origin and purpose of the flyer remained unclear.
Pro-Hamas antifa hoods revving up tonight’s riot at the NY Public Library on 42nd St. The NYPD have brought along marshmallows to lob at them if things get out of hand. All cops are wearing bodycams to aid rioters in future litigation if the marshmallows are too salty. pic.twitter.com/LNz70Uu1oU
— Gary Weiss (@gary_weiss) December 21, 2023
The protests in Midtown Manhattan are part of a series of ongoing demonstrations since the Hamas attack on October 7, where 1,200 Israelis were killed, and over 200 were kidnapped. The Post report said that Israel responded with a military campaign, vowing to eradicate the terror group. Multiple organizations, including the Democratic Socialists of America chapter in New York City, have condemned Israel.
One Israel supporter who spoke with the Jewish Voice in the condition of anonymity said, “Whether we want to admit it or not, it is pretty clear that we are in the middle of a Marxist revolution in this city and this country. The woke, progressive, far-left wing Jew hating fascists will stop at nothing to disempower the Jew, to intimidate the Jew, to harass and bully the Jew and to ultimately rise up and attempt to totally vanquish the Jews.”
The Pro-Hamas, pro-Terror demonstrators continued their march beyond the library, stopping at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) offices on 3rd Avenue. There, they projected the names of New York elected officials who accepted campaign donations from pro-Israel political action committees, accusing them of funding “genocide,” the Post report noted. Chants of “Money money you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide” echoed through the demonstration. As per the Post report, protesters also displayed large cardboard cutouts of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the amounts the political action committee donated to each of them.
Earlier in the week, actor Alec Baldwin faced criticism from anti-Israel protesters who accused him of supporting Israel. The Post previously reported that the protests extended to major transit hubs such as Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal during a Monday demonstration, adding to the series of actions expressing dissent over the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
