Thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators gathered in New York City on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks, pledging support for a Palestinian state and calling for an end to U.S. aid to Israel. “Palestinians have been fighting for justice for their homeland for decades,” one demonstrator shouted to the cheering crowd. One pro-Palestinian billboard compared Israel to the Nazis. Another sign said Israel was “responsible for 76 years of tragic bloodshed.” Still, another sign urged the federal government to “cease all U.S. aid to Israel.”
What's happening now: Thousands of anti-Israel demonstrators flooded New York City today, the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas-led attack. https://t.co/aJoRc29OIp
— Fox Nashville (@FOXNashville) October 7, 2024
Demonstrators marched holding large banners proclaiming, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.”
A giant Palestinian flag was unfurled on the street in front of the New York Stock Exchange as pro-Palestinian protesters and Israeli supporters clashed, but it was a mostly peaceful event, although it was a nuisance for Jewish residents. It became. At one point, the protesters chanted“Globalize the Intifada.”
“I live here. My kids go to school a block away from here. It's terrible,” the father of a Jewish protester told ABC 7. “We are Israelis. We feel very unsafe. We may sound confident, but we are trembling.”
He said the protesters were defending the “barbaric massacre of 1,200 civilians.” This refers to the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, in which Israelis were killed in their homes and countless women were raped.
Meanwhile, protests were held at Columbia University, where hundreds of people were arrested during spring protests. On Monday, hundreds of Columbia University students held up banners that read, “Honor all the martyrs,” “Liberate free speech in Gaza,” and “Break the chains and let them fall.” It is said that they went on strike. columbia spectator. Colombian demonstrators chanted “Free Palestine'' and “There is only one solution: an intifada revolution.''
One of the speakers said: “Until Palestine is liberated, our resistance will be resolute and strong and we will continue to strive for its liberation.”
WATCH: Pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters clash in Manhattan on October 7th anniversary
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Stephanie Keith
michael faust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His articles have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, Christian Post, Leaf Chronicle, Toronto Star, and Knoxville News Sentinel.
