Anti-Israel protesters trying to disrupt a major fundraiser for President Biden in Manhattan on Friday night clashed with police, firing smoke bombs and leading to dozens of arrests, officials said.
At least 32 protesters were arrested as they marched from Madison Square Garden to the Hammerstein Ballroom on West 34th Street in Midtown, police sources said.
Video showed crowds of protesters, many wearing masks, clashing and shoving with police in riot gear on the sidewalk at the corner of West 34th Street and Eighth Avenue, less than a block away.
Through the thick smoke, officers could be seen detaining several protesters while others in the group tried to pull them away from police.
Amid the chaos, one officer can be heard yelling, “Clear the block.”
Another officer, with a megaphone in hand, futilely demanded that protesters disperse or face arrest.
“There is only one solution: Intifada revolution!” protesters chanted.
Flag-waving protesters also briefly flooded the lobby of the James A. Farley Building on Eighth Avenue, where they were seen on video attempting to climb another staircase inside the building before returning to the street.
The demonstration was organized by the anti-Israel activist group Within Our Lifetime. Written on a flyer“Genocidal politicians are not welcome in New York City.”
In the Hammerstein Ballroom, more than 640 donors listened to Biden, 81, make the case again that he is up to the task of running the country for a second term.
“Folks, I wouldn’t be running again if I didn’t believe wholeheartedly that I could do this job, because, frankly, the stakes are too high. Donald Trump is a real threat to this country,” he told supporters, repeating the same assertion he made at an earlier rally in North Carolina.
Tickets for the fundraiser ranged from $250 for balcony seating to up to $500,000 for table seating, sources told The Washington Post.
Actors Billy Porter and Alan Cumming were in attendance.
Biden arrived at the big money gathering at about 7:45 p.m. and left just before 9:30 p.m.
The fundraiser and protest came the day after Biden gave a terrible, age-revealing performance in the first presidential debate against Republican opponent Donald Trump.
Hours earlier, the liberal New York Times editorial board had called for Biden to drop out of the presidential race, citing his apparent advanced age.
Biden arrived in New York on Friday for two days of major fundraising activities.
That same day, he joined rock icon Elton John and New York Governor Kathy Haukle in Greenwich Village to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn riots.
On Saturday, he is scheduled to visit the sprawling East Hampton mansion owned by hedge fund manager Barry Rosenstein for a major star-studded fundraiser.
The organizing committee includes celebrity couple Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Michael J. Fox and his wife Tracy Pollan, Clinton allies Nicole and Michael Fox, and hedge fund manager Eric Mindich. East Hampton Press.
They paid at least $250,000 each to meet with Biden.
The lowest ticket price is $3,300, but a $30,000 “champion” ticket gets you a photo with the president and “preferred seating” at the event, while a $100,000 “co-host” ticket gets you a photo for two and preferred seating.
Additional reporting by Dorian Geiger
