Hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of anti-Israel protesters took over Times Square in New York City on Wednesday evening, just hours after an apparent ISIS radical reportedly murdered more than a dozen people in New Orleans.
The protesters, many of whom wore keffiyehs and face masks, slammed U.S. support for Israel. They carried Palestinian flags and signs that read, “End all U.S. aid to Israel,” “Zionism is cancer,” “Lift the siege on Gaza now!” and “No war on Iran.”
At various times, they also chanted in unison: “Resistance is glorious — we will be victorious,” “We will honor all our martyrs,” and “There is only one solution — intifada revolution.” Intifada, which means “uprising” in Arabic, refers to “the Second Intifada, a period of terror attacks in Israel in the early 2000s marked by suicide bombings,” the Times of Israel reported.
With an American flag as their backdrop, several even knelt on the ground in a Muslim show of worship:
Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
Additionally, the group promised that pro-Palestine demonstrations would continue until they achieved “total liberation” from “Zionism.” “2024 was a year of struggle against the crime of Zionism,” said one speaker. “We will be here every single year for generation after generation until total liberation and return.”
Since the attacks of October 7, pro-Hamas activists have taken to the streets on major American holidays to draw attention to their cause.
Some of the protesters also engaged in a heated exchange with a handful of pro-Israel counterprotesters. “We’re sending you back to Europe, you white b***hes,” said one particularly foul-mouthed woman in a keffiyeh, according to the New York Post.
“Shut up, you ghetto-a** b***h,” the same woman apparently added to a black counterprotester, according to a video posted to X. She also repeatedly shouted, “Go back to Europe! Go back to Europe!” to others while pledging loyalty to Hamas.
The protest was reportedly orchestrated by the Palestinian Youth Movement, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the People’s Forum. Members of anti-Zionist groups like Jewish Voice for Peace and Neturei Karta also attended.
Another short clip of the protest can be seen here.
The New Year’s Day protest in Times Square came just hours after an ISIS radical, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Jabbar of Texas, allegedly mowed down dozens of new year’s revelers in New Orleans. At least 15 people were killed and 35 were injured in the incident of apparent terrorism.
Jabbar died soon afterward in a shoot-out with police. Two officers were also injured in the gunfire but are currently in stable condition.
Whether the NYC protest came in response to the violence in New Orleans is unclear. The Times of Israel did note that since the attacks of October 7, 2023, pro-Hamas activists have taken to the streets on major American holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the Fourth of July to draw attention to their cause.
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Times square, New york city, 5th avenue, New orleans, Terrorism, Isis, Palestine, Israel, Israel hamas, Politics