Skirmishes broke out in New York’s Times Square as pro-Palestinian groups rallied – after Hamas attacked Israel, leaving more than 900 dead.
An angry onlooker had already clashed with placard-wearing protesters who gathered in Manhattan’s Midtown at 1pm on Sunday. New York is the city with the largest Jewish population in the world.
“How can you support this! F***ing murderers!’ a man shouted as a group of about 30 people chanted ‘free Palestine’ at the start of their demonstration.
The man rushed towards the group, but was immediately intercepted and escorted by a cop. There is a heavy NYPD presence at the scene.
Skirmishes erupt in New York’s Times Square as pro-Palestinian groups rally – after Hamas attacks Israel, leaving more than 900 dead
An angry onlooker had already clashed with placard-wearing protesters who gathered in Manhattan’s Midtown at 1pm on Sunday. New York is the city with the largest Jewish population in the world
There is a heavy police presence in New York’s Time Square today – as pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of Midtown after Hamas launched surprise attacks on Israel.
So far, protesters have rallied with megaphones and yellow signs reading: ‘Resistance to occupation is a human right’ and ‘end all US aid to apartheid Israel’.
Protesters planned to take over Times Square – the social and cultural epicenter of New York – just one day after Israeli women and children were dragged from their homes and slaughtered by Palestinian militants.
American citizens were among the dead and captured, Antony Blinken confirmed.
On Sunday, protesters waving Palestinian flags on 42nd Street chanted: ‘From the river to the sea Palestine will be free.’
New Yorker Claudia De La Cruz, 42, a member of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, told DailyMail.com: ‘We are here in solidarity with the Palestinians who understand that for more than 70 years they have victims of abuse by the Israel was colonial state.
“Their lands were occupied, their people were displaced, there were several bombings on the Gaza Strip.”
Protesters planned to take over Times Square – the social and cultural epicenter of New York – just one day after Israeli women and children were dragged from their homes and slaughtered by Palestinian militants.
One woman holds up a sign: ‘Zionism is terrorism’
New York Governor Hochul condemned the protest yesterday
Two protesters hold up a sign in Times Square on Sunday
She added: ‘We know that everyone who lives under colonial rule and who is oppressed has the right to self-defence and that is what we are seeing now.’
Asked if she viewed the Hamas killings as ‘self-defence’, Ms De La Cruz said: ‘(We support) self-defence in any way, shape or form.’
She blasted the Democrats for funding ‘apartheid’ in Israel.
When asked about New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s condemnation of their protest, she said: ‘Of course they (Democrats) are going to condemn what they call terrorism when we know that the United States is aiding terrorism against Palestinians.
“This is not an anti-Semitism type of thing, we are not against the Jewish community – we are against Zionism which is a very different type of thing.”
As the Palestinian faction escalated in Times Square, a group of Israeli protesters began to form — waving flags in retaliation from behind a metal fence.
A poster for the rally taking place on Sunday at 1pm, following the Hamas attack on Israel
Governor Hochul yesterday described the rally as abhorrent and morally repugnant after Hamas militants invaded Israel and slaughtered hundreds of citizens.
She wrote: ‘The people of Israel are facing violent terrorist attacks and civilian kidnappings. I condemn plans to rally in Times Square tomorrow in support of the perpetrators of this horrific act.
“The planned rally is abhorrent and morally repugnant.”
NYC Mayor Eric Adams, who is on a vanity tour of South America to discourage migrants from crossing the border, condemned the attacks in Israel.
There are an estimated 1.6 million Jewish people living in New York City – half of whom live in Brooklyn.
One of the Americans caught up in the tragedies unfolding in Israel is Hersh Golberg-Polin – a 23-year-old born in Berkeley, California.
Golberg-Polin sent his mother and father a text saying ‘I love you, I’m sorry’ at 8.11am on Saturday – as callous Palestinian militants declared war on Israel, took dozens of people hostage and hundreds killed during the Jewish high holiday. .
He attended an all-night ‘nature party’ near Kibbutz Re’im – not far from the Gaza Strip. The rave was infiltrated and ambushed by Palestinian terrorists.