Thousands of protesters gathered in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday to demonstrate against Israel’s war in Gaza and recent strikes on Lebanon, targeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his scheduled speech to the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Multiple protests took place throughout the day, with the largest blocking traffic in Manhattan’s streets. As night fell, tensions rose between protesters and police on the Upper East Side, where approximately a dozen demonstrators were arrested.
Pro-Palestinian groups, including Within Our Lifetime and Jewish Voice for Peace, organized the protests. The demonstrations remained peaceful and orderly for most of the day but escalated when a group moved uptown from Grand Central Terminal.
Outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, police officers on bicycles encircled a defiant crowd. Officers stationed on the museum steps used their bikes to block protesters from reaching the building.
The march continued to Park Avenue, where police instructed protesters to clear the road. Arrests were made when protesters refused to comply.
