Thousands of anti-Israel protesters sparked mayhem across Brooklyn streets Saturday night, clashing with NYPD officers after being repeatedly told to disperse.
The New York Post reports the “Flood Brooklyn for Palestine” demonstration quickly dissolved into chaos at sunset, with protesters shutting down traffic through Bay Ridge, screaming at NYPD officers and lighting small fires in the middle of the roadways.
Protesters clash with NYPD officers as people rally in support of Palestinians in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 2023, amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman holds a sign reading “Well Done Israel, Hitler Would Be Proud” as people rally in support of Palestinians in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 2023. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
People rally in support of Palestinians in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 2023, amid ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
NYPD officers pushed back protesters and ordered them out of the roadway.
The rally continued into the night with tensions eventually flaring between officers and demonstrators. Police say more than a dozen people were taken into custody, ABC 7 detailed.
A woman chants as people rally in support of Palestinians in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 2023. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty Images)
A woman is arrested by police officers after protesters clashed with members of the New York Police Department at a rally in support of the Palestinians in Brooklyn, New York on October 21, 2023. (KENA BETANCUR/AFP via Getty)
Various reports said police were subsequently filmed trying to usher protesters out of a intersection where they had shut down traffic, during which an unspecified number of pro-Palestinians were taken into custody.
Chaos at a Pro-Palestinian protest in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn.
Cops are sparring with and arresting protesters. #HamasTerrorAttacks #ProHamas #protest @NYPDnews @BayRidge11209 #Brooklyn pic.twitter.com/fSkjiyqA4X— The Jewish Voice (@JewishVoice) October 22, 2023
Several cops were reportedly seen fighting back against protesters in the chaos, which came after ralliers gathered to demand the U.S. end support for Israel.
Armed with Palestinian flags and signs, much of the group refused to comply with cops’ demands. The Daily Mail continued to describe the affray:
‘Say it loud, say it clear, we don’t want no Zionists here!’ protesters city were heard shouting from within the frenzy, which, thanks to police, was confined to the most part around 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue.
‘We will free Palestine within our lifetime!’ others cried, touting signs reading, ‘We stand with Palestine,’ and, ‘Once upon a time… There was humanity,’ along with other similar sentiments.
Meanwhile, other, more radical revelers – who ranged in age from preteens to seniors – clutched signage with scrawlings that insisted ‘Zionism is genocide,’ and that ‘Resistance is justified when people are occupied.’
Saturday night’s protest followed another one in Manhattan on Friday, where some 139 pro-Palestinians were cuffed for blocking traffic in Midtown – by a group organized by the Democratic Socialists of America.
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