The protest, organized by the pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime, began in Union Square and made its way to Wall Street, where demonstrators lit red and green flares and brandished a flag associated with Hezbollah, a Lebanon-based terrorist group backed by Iran. The event was part of a “citywide day of rage for Gaza,” according to organizers.
Tensions escalated as protesters clashed with police and chanted “Israel go to hell,” prompting swift condemnation from supporters of Israel. Music industry executive Scooter Braun, who helped organize the exhibit, criticized the protesters in a social media post, urging them to learn the truth about the attacks instead of engaging in disruptive actions.
“How utterly evil do you have to be to protest outside a site that memorializes the 1,200 victims of October 7?” tweeted Aviva Klompas, a former speechwriter for the Israeli government. Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine also denounced the demonstration, describing it as “repulsive and vile” in a post on X.
New York GOP Representative Michael Lawler echoed these sentiments, calling the actions of the protesters “disgusting.” Joel Petlin, superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, suggested that the protesters supported the terrorists responsible for the attack and wanted to see similar violence repeated.
The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, had previously stated in April that calls for intifada equate to calls for violence against Israelis and Jews.
The Nova Exhibit, which opened in April, aims to give visitors a sense of the terror experienced during the Oct. 7 attack on the “Tribe of Nova” festival in southern Israel. Initially scheduled to close on Sunday, the exhibit will now remain open until June 22.
During the protest, a confrontation occurred in Zuccotti Park, where a man purportedly supporting Israel was surrounded and taunted by about a dozen protesters. Police also faced off with demonstrators, demanding they move outside the barriers lining the street.
Several smoke bombs were set off, and six people received summonses for disorderly conduct and jumping turnstiles, according to the NYPD.
The protests against Israel have been ongoing since the deadly attack by Hamas last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and led to a subsequent military campaign in Gaza by the Israeli military.