Pro-Palestinian protesters storm the New York Times building, vandalizing the façade – as hundreds of high schoolers and teachers walk out of class in protest of Gaza bombings

Crowds of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of New York City and headed to the New York Times building, where they criticized their reporting on the war in Israel.

On Thursday, demonstrators took over the building’s lobby, holding up Palestinian flags and a sign reading “Ceasefire Now.” They read the names of those killed in Gaza from a newspaper called “The New York Crimes.”

Photos posted on social media show the group destroying the front of the building. Outside, New York Police Department vehicles were spray-painted with “Free Gaza” written on the side.

About 1,500 pro-Palestinian protesters descended on the Big Apple on Thursday, they said WABC.

Earlier in the day, New York City high school students, parents and teachers participated in a protest calling for a ceasefire.

Outside the New York Times building, NYPD vehicles were spray-painted with “Free Gaza” written on the side

The front of The New York Times building is damaged. Police eventually managed to clear the lobby

Organized by groups like Teachers Unite, NYC Educators for Palestine and the Palestinian Youth Movement, students walked out of class and gathered in Bryant Park.

The crowd chanted: “From river to sea, Palestine will be free,” a phrase used to call for a Palestinian takeover of the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, which includes Israel.

‘We have called on people to stop working. We have called on people to leave their schools. Many people responded to that call,” said Munir Marwan of the Palestinian Youth Movement CBS New York.

The group is calling for a ceasefire and an end to what they called the Israeli genocide.

After gathering at the New York Public Library in Bryant Park, the group headed to the New York Times building, where they swarmed the lobby.

Protesters chanted that the New York Times had “blood on their hands” and encouraged employees to resign.

Police eventually managed to clear the building and the protests continued.

Ahead of the walk, New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks warned teachers about violating Department of Education rules on political speech, reported Chalk stroke.

“If speech and action – even on someone’s personal time – undermines the mission or core functions of NYCPS, we will assess on a case-by-case basis and take appropriate action,” he said in an email.

The demonstrations come as the NYPD reported a 135 percent spike in hate crimes against Jewish and Muslim New Yorkers since the war began.

In the month of October there were 101 hate crimes, 69 of which were against Jews, while anti-Semitic crimes have increased by 331 percent since September and 214 percent since October last year.

About 1,500 pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets on Thursday

Hundreds of high school students and teachers from New York walked out and marched to Bryant Park

There have also been eight hate crimes against Muslim New Yorkers — an increase of 700 percent since September and 800 percent since October 2022, when there were zero.

Fighting in the Middle East has intensified in the 34 days since Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack on Israel.

Israel has agreed to impose a four-hour daily humanitarian pause in its attack on Hamas in northern Gaza as part of an effort to get hostages out, the White House announced.

According to Israeli officials, the October 7 Hamas attack killed 1,400 people and seized about 240 hostages. This was the worst attack in the country’s history.

Israel retaliated with an aerial bombardment and a ground offensive, killing more than 10,500 people in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip, including many children, according to the Health Ministry.