34 pro-Palestinian protesters arrested for disrupting Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, police say

A few of the pro-Palestinian protesters arrested, who had been demonstrating in response to the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, had jumped the barricades and glued themselves to Sixth Avenue, based on authorities. A number of of them had been sporting white jumpsuits lined with pretend blood and emblazoned with phrases like “colonialism” and “consumerism.”

Protesters held up Palestinian flags and indicators studying, “Genocide then, genocide now,” as a Minions balloon glided by. Others held related banners on the parade route as a McDonald’s automotive carrying the Grimace seemed on close to West fifty fifth Avenue.

Thirty of the protesters had been issued summons for trespassing, police advised The Publish. One other 4 individuals had been criminally charged with resisting arrest, obstructing governmental administration, trespassing and disorderly conduct associated to the vandalism on the New York Public Library. The NYPD recognized these 4 individuals arrested as Jay Waxse, 34, of Washington, D.C.; Natalia Scollo, 29, of Lindenhurst, N.Y.; Sarah Al Azzawi, 26, of New York; and Alvin Dan, 32, of Staten Island.

A police spokesperson mentioned she wasn’t certain whether or not the 4 arrested for spray-painting the entrance of the library had been nonetheless in custody as of Friday morning, and it’s unclear whether or not they had attorneys. A Macy’s spokesperson advised The Publish, “Macy’s honors and respects the rights of all Individuals to precise their views peacefully.

“Our route is restricted to approved credentialed personnel and anybody that didn’t comply with this protocol was topic to removing by the suitable authorities,” the Macy’s spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

New York Public Library spokesperson Jennifer Fermino advised The Publish in a Friday assertion that whereas it “strongly helps the correct to protest,” the injury to the constructing can be expensive amid price range cuts to the library system.

“On Thanksgiving, people concerned in a protest engaged in a shameful act of vandalism to the Library’s flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman constructing, an area dedicated to the open alternate of concepts and mental debate,” Fermino mentioned. “This comes at a time when town’s libraries are going through steep price range cuts which have left us unable to take care of our present ranges of service, and this vandalism can be expensive to restore.”

The arrests in New York come as a pause in preventing in Gaza went into impact Friday, with assist vehicles getting into the Palestinian enclave and other people in southern Gaza venturing out, filling streets after weeks of preventing and Israeli airstrikes. The primary respite in seven weeks of conflict is a part of a deal between Israel and Hamas, which on Friday led to the discharge of an preliminary group of 13 Israeli hostages and 12 Thai hostages taken by militants within the Oct. 7 assault on Israel. Fifty hostages are anticipated to be freed over a four-day pause in preventing in alternate for 150 Palestinian prisoners in Israel below the settlement, which resulted from weeks of Qatar-mediated negotiations.

Dwell updates: Pause in preventing begins as a part of deal to launch captives

Some pro-Palestinian protesters in america have been arrested in latest weeks. Greater than 50 activists calling for a cease-fire had been arrested earlier within the month after protesting within the places of work of a number of U.S. senators, together with Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Days later, 10 individuals, most of them faculty college students, had been arrested after interrupting a congressional listening to to demand that pro-Palestinian college students be protected after they converse out on campus.

One other pro-Palestinian protester in California was arrested final week and charged with involuntary manslaughter in the dying of a Jewish man who suffered head accidents in an altercation between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian protesters at an indication in Southern California.

The Thanksgiving protest in New York started round 10 a.m. Thursday at Sixth Avenue and West forty fifth Avenue, roughly 90 minutes after the 97th annual Macy’s parade began, based on police. A few of the floats, bands and balloons seemed to be diverted to keep away from the protesters who had glued themselves to the pavement.

Protesters chanted, “No extra nickels, not one other dime, no more cash for Israel’s crimes” and “Free free Palestine!” They refused to go away Sixth Avenue till they had been finally taken into custody, based on WABC in New York.

A bunch of protesters was additionally seen vandalizing the New York Public Library’s most important department with spray paint and extra pretend blood, which seemed to be constructed from grape juice, WABC reported. Video posted to X exhibits Palestinian flags together with pink and inexperienced spray paint alongside the pillars of the library.

The protesters weren’t the one ones to indicate help to Gaza on Thursday. A person who was on a float for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts held up a Palestinian flag and made it onto the NBC broadcast.

The motion was denounced by the tribe on social media, saying it “takes no stance on the conflicts abroad.”

“Our Tribal Nation stays targeted on the problems we face on our ancestral homeland,” the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe wrote on Fb. “Whereas we can not converse for a person’s actions, his actions weren’t a Tribal choice. Our governing tribal physique, together with the opposite tribal residents on the float, weren’t concerned together with his actions.”

The protest interrupting the parade got here across the identical time that President Biden and first girl Jill Biden known as into the printed to offer thanks. In addition they requested Individuals to “come collectively.”

“We’ve to remind ourselves how blessed we’re to dwell within the best nation on the face of the earth,” the president mentioned. “In the present day is about coming collectively, giving thanks for this nation we name residence. And due to all of the firefighters, cops, first responders and our troops, a few of whom are stationed overseas.”

Ellie Silverman contributed to this report