NYC pro-Palestinian protesters swarm Zuccotti Park in Manhattan
NEW YORK CITY - Pro-Palestinian supporters are demonstrating Thursday afternoon near Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, New York City, as the Israel-Hamas war rages in Gaza.
According to an Instagram post from Within Our Lifetime, a group with more than 167,000 followers, the "emergency protest" began at 2 p.m. in the park.
"Let’s flood the streets of New York City with our message of ending not just the bombs on Gaza, but the siege, blockade, occupation and colonization of all of Palestine," the post said, in part.
In video posted to the social media platform "X", groups of protesters could be heard chanting "free, free Palestine." Several flags and banners were also seen in the crowd.
Protesters later gathered in front of One World Trade Center, temporarily closing the building's entrance.
JFK Airport protest: 26 arrested
At least 26 people were arrested Wednesday morning after a pro-Palestinian demonstration blocked a portion of the Van Wyck Expressway inside John F. Kennedy International Airport, the Port Authority said.
Featured
JFK Airport protest: Travelers push through demonstrators blocking Van Wyck; 26 arrested
At least 26 people were arrested after an apparent pro-Palestinian demonstration blocked traffic near and inside JFK Airport.
Several demonstrators were seen holding banners reading "Free Palestine" and "Divest From Genocide," creating gridlock traffic and forcing travelers to exit their ride-share vehicles and cart their luggage to their gates.
In a statement to FOX 5 NY, the Port Authority said, "At about 11:30 this morning, PAPD was notified of protest activity on the Van Wyck Expressway inside JFK Airport. 26 arrests were made for disorderly conduct and impeding vehicular traffic. The roadway was reopened at 11:50. During the disruption, the Port Authority dispatched two airport buses, offering rides to travelers involved in the backup to allow them to reach the airport safely."
FOX 5 NY learned of similar protests in Los Angeles after chaos ensued when a group of pro-Palestinian protesters blocked traffic outside the entrance of the Los Angeles International Airport.
Demonstrators clash with police in Midtown on Christmas Day
On Christmas Day, red and green flooded the streets of Midtown alongside signs that read "No joy in Genocide."
Featured
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash with police in Midtown: ‘Christmas is canceled’
Several arrests were made as protesters clashed with police near Starbucks on Park Avenue South in Midtown.
Several people were arrested following the "Christmas is Canceled" rally that initially started at Rockefeller Center before clashing with police near a Starbucks on Park Avenue South. According to the NYPD, six arrests were made in total; one for menacing, two for vandalism and three for disorderly conduct.
Israel-Hamas war latest
Israel declared war after Hamas militants stormed across the border on Oct. 7, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking more than 240 hostages.
Israel has vowed to keep up the fight until Hamas is destroyed and removed from power in Gaza and all the hostages are freed.
More than 20,600 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, about 70% of them women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants among the dead.