Pro-Palestinian protesters storm Hamilton Heights restaurant
NEW YORK - A group of pro-Palestinian protesters caused a chaotic scene at the Bird in Hand restaurant in Hamilton Heights on Tuesday night.
The protesters, who were searching for Mayor Eric Adams and Governor Kathy Hochul, were carrying signs supporting Palestine and Hamas, as well as a picture of a recently killed Hamas leader and chanted slogans accusing the officials of being responsible for the deaths of children.
The group entered the restaurant, located at West 146th Street and Broadway, demanding to see Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul, despite the fact that neither were present.
Video of the incident shows some patrons eating their meals unfazed, while others look on in shock.
As students return, colleges brace for a resurgence in activism against the war in Gaza
While the summer break has provided a respite in student demonstrations against the Israel-Hamas war, it has also given protesters and higher education officials a chance to regroup and strategize for the fall semester.
When they realized the officials were not there, the protesters moved outside, where the situation escalated. Smoke bombs were set off as police attempted to control the scene.
Brian Felicetta, co-owner of Bird In Hand, praised his staff and the police for maintaining control during the tense situation.
"A situation like this has the opportunity to get bad real quick," Felicetta said. "I couldn’t be prouder of my staff. They really stayed calm, controlled the situation as best they could, maintained the safety of patrons, and police were diligent in controlling the crowd."
In total, police made 14 arrests in connection with the incident.