Pro-Palestine protesters attempt to disrupt Met Gala, march in Manhattan
NEW YORK CITY - Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Monday evening at Manhattan's Hunter College, just blocks away from the star-studded 2024 Met Gala.
Protesters attempted to march on the celebrity-filled fashion event, but were stopped roughly a block away by the NYPD.
Authorities say 27 people were arrested and charged with disorderly conduct.
The marchers then march down Park Avenue, winding their way through the Upper East Side before making their way to 59th Street and 5th Avenue, where a war memorial was vandalized.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 6: A pro-Palestine protestor writes Gaza on a memoriam near Central Park during a march on the outskirts of the Met Gala on May 6, 2024 in New York City. A demonstration at Hunter College drew around 200 protesters, who joine
Flyers posted on social media encouraged demonstrators to join a "citywide rally" for "A Day of Rage for Gaza" on the campus at 68th Street and Lexington Avenue on the Upper East Side at 5 p.m.
The Met Gala hosts some of the biggest names in film, fashion, music, sports, politics, and social media, making it a lightning rod for protest movements. Just last year, "tax the rich" protesters blocked a van carrying Paris Hilton to the event, the New York Post reported. In 2021, several Black Lives Matter demonstrators were arrested near the gala, Fox News reported.
Before the Hunter College rally, protesters were also called to meet at Columbia University at 4 p.m. Earlier in the day, the Ivy League school announced the cancelation of its university-wide commencement ceremony, scheduled for May 15.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 6: NYPD attempts to block Pro-Palestine protestors as they sprint past barricades during a march on the outskirts of the Met Gala on May 6, 2024 in New York City. A demonstration at Hunter College drew around 200 protesters,
Nationwide campus protests began at Columbia in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza after Hamas launched a deadly attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7. Militants killed about 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and took roughly 250 hostages. Vowing to stamp out Hamas, Israel has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, according to the local health ministry.
Conde Nast threatens to create scene
Members of the Conde Nast union are also had threatened to create a scene at the 2024 Met Gala amid contract negotiations.
The union had, however, reached a tentative deal with the media company Monday, @condeunion tweeted.
"Our pledge to do ‘whatever it takes’ ahead of the #metgala2024 moved the company and our progress at the bargaining table kicked into high gear," the tweet read.
Brooklyn Bridge protest
Last month, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the Brooklyn Bridge from Manhattan, snarling traffic in the area.
Video from SkyFOX showed demonstrators running up the Manhattan-bound exit ramp, surrounding carts driving into the city.
Once onto the road deck of the Brooklyn Bridge, protesters were seen banging drums and waving Palestinian flags. Flares were ignited and thrown into the East River, SkyFOX video showed.
Police on bicycles later corralled the group to the pedestrian walkway. Several arrests were made. According to reports, protests originated near City Hall in Lower Manhattan.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.