Two pro-Palestinian protesters shouted “Long live Hamas” in the faces of a Jewish couple during dueling rallies that broke out in front of the New York Public Library Thursday night.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters called for a cease-fire as a crowd of counter-protesters voiced their support for Israel in Midtown Manhattan. At times, the two sides got into face-to-face confrontations as cops tried to keep control of the situation.
In one instance, two pro-Palestinian demonstrators, covered in masks, repeatedly chanted, “Long live Hamas” and waved Palestinian flags in front of the Jewish couple as police officers directed the pro-Palestinian pair to move away, according to footage captured at the scene.
Some pro-Israel demonstrators waved the Jewish state’s blue-and-white flag and held signs that stated, “No ceasefire, eliminate Hamas,” on their side of the street, according to photos from the scene.
Another pro-Israeli demonstrator, dressed in a pullover akin to the Israeli flag, was seen carrying a ripped-up flyer with a swastika on it. It was not clear what the flyer was for or where it came from.
Protests have been an ongoing event in the Big Apple since Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis and kidnapped more than 200 on Oct. 7. Israel’s government quickly launched a military campaign in the strip of land, vowing to eradicate the terror group.
Multiple organizations came together to condemn Israel, including New York City’s Democratic Socialist of America chapter, which previously faced heat for promoting a pro-Palestine rally the day after the terror attack.
The pro-Palestinian demonstrators reportedly marched around other parts of Midtown during the Thursday night protest after leaving the library.
They stopped at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee offices on 3rd Avenue and projected the names of New York elected officials who have accepted campaign donations from the pro-Israel political action committee on the side of the building while also accusing them of funding “genocide.”
“Money money you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” protesters chanted.
They also held big cardboard cutouts of the heads of Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries along with how much money the PAC donated to each of them.
Earlier this week, rabble-rousers berated actor Alec Baldwin on Monday as they accused him of supporting Israel. The anti-Israel protesters also occupied major transit hubs like Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal during the Monday demonstration.
