New York City Democratic Socialists of America are holding a pro-Palestinian rally in Times Square following an attack on Israel by Islamist extremists — with Gov. Kathy Hochul calling it …
nypost.com
Pro-Palestinian rally met by Israel supporters in Midtown as Hochul slams ‘abhorrent’ demonstration after Hamas attack
By
Jared Downing and
Jorge Fitz-Gibbon
Published Oct. 8, 2023, 1:18 p.m. ET
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators, organized by the Democratic Socialists of America, rallied Sunday in the Big Apple — stomping on and burning the Israeli flag — as Islamic terrorists in the Gaza Strip
continued their assault on the Jewish state.
Scores of counter-protesters turned out in support of Israel at the Manhattan rally, too, with verbal clashes between the opposing sides escalating throughout the day and at least one skirmish breaking out near the United Nations compound in Midtown.
One attendee in the pro-Palestinian camp was pictured holding up an image of a swastika on their phone — a day after 700 Jews were slaughtered by Hamas.
The New York City
chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) — the party of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) and a couple dozen other prominent New York politicians — had announced the 1 p.m. rally in Times Square on Saturday just hours after Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel that left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.
The announcement drew immediate condemnation from Gov. Kathy Hochul, who called the planned demonstration “abhorrent and morally repugnant.”
A couple hundred demonstrators turned out to the rally at West 43rd Street and Broadway, shouting “Free Palestine!” and holding up signs saying, “End all US aid to Israel” and “Palestine will be free.”
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A rally attendee shows a swastika on their phone.Stuart Meissner
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The rally turned contentious as pro-Israel demonstrators met the Palestinian sympathizers.James Keivom
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Barricades kept the two sides separated.James Keivom
“It’s not about Hamas,” Mohammed Radi, a West Bank-born New Jersey resident, told The Post. “It’s about civilian suffering and to stop the killing on both sides.
“I don’t want to see any Jewish people or any Palestinian people killed,” the man said.
Aaron Kirshenbaum, a recent college graduate from Brooklyn who attended the rally with his father, said, “It’s important for Judaism to be divorced from Zionism.
“Being aligned with an oppressive state is extremely limiting,” he said.
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At the time of the rally, 700 Israelis had been killed by Hamas terrorists. REUTERS
Worst attack on Israel in 50 years: How we got here
2005: Israel unilaterally
withdraws from the Gaza Strip over three decades after winning the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: Terrorist group Hamas wins a Palestinian legislative election.
2007: Hamas seizes control of Gaza in a civil war.
2008: Israel launches military offensive against Gaza after Palestinian terrorists fired rockets into the town of Sderot.
2023: Hamas launches the biggest attack on Israel in 50 years.
Over 700 Israelis are dead over 2,150 are wounded and 100 were taken hostage with the death toll expected to rise after Hamas terrorists fired thousands of rockets and sent dozens of militants into Israeli towns.
Hamas terrorists were seen
taking female hostages and parading them down the street in horrifying videos.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced “
We are at war” and vowed Hamas would pay “a price it has never known.”
Gaza health officials report at least 300 Palestinians have been killed with 2,200 injured.
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Protesters gathering in Times Square.
Some of the rallygoers split off and marched to the Consulate General of Israel on Second Avenue near East 43rd Street, with that group growing to about 100 people by around 5 p.m.
Some 200 counter-demonstrators showed up to voice their opposition, and the two increasingly confrontational groups faced off behind police barricades set up on opposite sides of the street as cops kept watch.
“New York is allowing these f–king animals to protest,” counter-protester Richard Friend said. “They just murdered hundreds of innocent Israelis, and now they’re dancing in the streets!
“It’s an embarrassment to New York City.”
Tensions flared after several protesters — some draped in Palestinian flags — grabbed an Israeli flag, stomped it, ripped it and set it on fire.
When a counter-protester went to retrieve the flag, groups of people stormed past the barricades and scuffles broke out.
Cops could be seen struggling to control the crowd, with one man draped in a Palestinian flag taken to the ground by police officers.
“Anyone else comes out is gonna get arrested,” a frustrated officer finally told the mob. “That’s it.”
Three people were arrested for disorderly conduct and given summonses, police said. It wasn’t clear which side they were on.
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Gov. Kathy Hochul, in a statement, slammed the rally as “abhorrent.”REUTERS
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
For many Israelis in New York, Sunday’s rally added insult to injury.
One counter-protester, Omri, a 27-year-old Israeli, was in tears as he recounted losing three friends in the surprise attack back home.
“They went for a party, a party for peace,” he said. “How can they celebrate this? They are killing people who want peace.”
Local politicians agreed.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn Democrat, said in a statement that he “strongly and unequivocally condemns the hate-filled rally held by the DSA in New York City and any effort to support the barbaric, inhumane and despicable terrorist attack by Hamas on the State of Israel and its citizens.
“The bond between the United States and Israel will always be unbreakable,’’ he said.
Mayor Eric Adams also took to social media to denounce the rally.
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The attack by Hamas has drawn worldwide condemnation and prompted the NYPD to increase security at synagogues, the Israeli Consulate and other Jewish sites in the five boroughs. DANIEL WILLIAM MCKNIGHT
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The progressive group announced the controversial rally on Saturday, just hours after Hamas terrorists launched a surprise deadly assault on Israeli towns, leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded.REUTERS
“At a moment when innocent people are being slaughtered and children kidnapped in Israel, it is disgusting that this group of extremists would show support for terrorism,” he said on X.
“New York City rejects this. Do not use our streets to spread your hate.”