Thousands of demonstrators protesting Israel’s attacks on Gaza descended upon and shut down the Brooklyn Bridge in New York on Saturday. The protest is one of several global protests that have taken place in the past three weeks, following a surprise attack on Israel launched by Hamas militants on October 7 that killed 1,400 Israelis and resulted in over 200 hostages being taken into Gaza.
Since that initial attack more than three weeks ago, Israel has unleashed a fiery response, promising to declare a “total siege” of Gaza. Israel has so far been launching airstrikes that have killed thousands of civilians in the area. The protest in New York came the same day as pro-Palestinian protests in London, Turkey, and elsewhere. Photos and videos posted to social media show throngs of people carrying Palestinian flags and signs with messages urging for a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas militants. Demonstrators also condemned Israel’s attack on war-torn Gaza, with slogans such as “Zionism is terrorism” splashed across large signs.
The protest caused the New York Police Department to shut down traffic on the Brooklyn-bound side out of precaution, the New York Post reported. NYPD helicopters and drones also hovered over the area, the New York Times reported.
The Metropolitan Transit Authority said in a tweet posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, that some subway lines like the J train would be out of service at some stops during the protest.
Source: HuffPost
