New Yorkers’ morning commutes came to a halt in several locations across the city as pro-Palestinian protesters rallied at major thoroughfares.
Demonstrators disrupted vehicle traffic on the Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Williamsburg bridges as well as the Holland Tunnel in a simultaneous act of protest demanding a cease-fire in Gaza. New York City’s emergency notification system issued alerts around 10 a.m. telling residents to expect delays, an increased presence of emergency personnel, and intermittent road closures around the areas owing to “protest activity.” Travelers were advised to take alternate routes. The NYPD began making mass arrests and, by 11:30 a.m., announced that all the protests had been dispersed. The Daily News reports that more than 100 arrests were made.
Videos shared on social media show protesters standing and sitting in the roads, some with linked arms, bearing signs calling for a cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and calling on the U.S. government to end military aid to Israel.
Since the start of the conflict late last year, pro-Palestinian protests have taken place throughout the city and more frequently in high-profile areas and during events such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting. In October, Grand Central Terminal was briefly filled by thousands of demonstrators for a rally organized by Jewish Voice for Peace.
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