Pro-Palestine protestors already descending on MET Gala as NYPD swiftly makes arrests to keep ralliers from ruining star-studded event
- Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at the Met Gala in New York and faced a swift response from the NYPD, who were prepared for their arrival
- The protests, part of a ‘Day Of Rage For Gaza’, started earlier at Columbia University and NYU and planned to converge at nearby Hunter College.
- Police arrested at least one protester and were ready for more with plastic ties
Pro-Palestinian protesters showed up at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night, but were met with a swift response from the NYPD, which had been bracing for the possibility of demonstrators showing up.
The protests — officially billed as part of a “Day of Rage for Gaza: From the Encampments to the Streets” — began earlier Monday afternoon at Columbia University and downtown NYU.
Both protests converged at CUNY Hunter College — just a mile from the Met, or about a 20-minute walk — at 5 p.m.
Outside The Met, a protester was quickly handcuffed and arrested by police.
Other uniformed officers could be seen walking the streets, armed with dozens of plastic zip ties, in case more protesters tried to show up and cause disruption.
A pro-Palestinian protester is arrested on site before the Met Gala begins in New York City
NYPD officers are seen outside the 2024 Met Gala preparing for any potential disruptions
Pro-Palestinian protesters showed up at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night, before it had even started
The NYPD had previously said it was well prepared, adding that it would “have an adequate security presence in place.”
NYPD sources said the Met will have a larger security contingent than usual, with plainclothes police both inside and outside the museum along Fifth Avenue, at the iconic Upper East Side location.
New York Mayor Eric Adams joined police in noting how “outside agitators” had been involved in the college demonstrations that had engulfed college campuses across the city over the past two weeks.
Protesters in Gaza have not hesitated to disrupt other high-profile events in the city, including the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and last year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting.
The Met Gala sees some of the biggest names in film, fashion, music, sports, politics and social media, making it something of a lightning rod for protests.
Nationwide campus protests began in Columbia in response to the Israeli offensive in Gaza.
Earlier in the day, the Ivy League school announced the cancellation of its university-wide commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 15.
Protesters received a swift response from the NYPD, who had braced for the possibility of demonstrators appearing
The NYPD had previously said it was well prepared, adding that it would “have adequate security deployments in place.”
Officers take a person in handcuffs outside the 2024 Met Gala on Monday evening
Actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife make a grand entrance amid tight New York Police Department security at the Met Gala in New York City
Anna Wintour at the 2024 Met Gala: ‘Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion’ at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City