Wednesday’s Rockefeller Center tree lighting, a normally festive affair, found itself briefly interrupted by pro-Palestine protesters speaking out against the ongoing Israel-Gaza war.
A small band of defiant demonstrators stormed the stage on Nov. 29 brandishing a banner reading “cease fire” while others in the audience waved the Palestine flag after the tree was lit on Nov. 29. However, security made quick work of the intrusion, confiscating both the banner and the flags within seconds.
Meanwhile, nearby on 6th Avenue, hundreds of fuming pro-Palestine supporters ended up getting physical with cops during an emotional protest when they attempted to bypass police barriers on the way to tree lighting. This resulted in chaos unfolding as the crowd tried pushing their way through the barricades.
Police and protesters could be seen participating in tug-of-war as each force tried to hold their line against the other. During the scuffle some members of law-enforcement could be seen tackling individuals and making arrests.
While an exact tally of arrests has not yet been disclosed, sources familiar with the situation estimated there were fewer than 10 arrests.
Despite endeavoring to disrupt the iconic event in order to gain attention to their cause, the Rockefeller tree lighting managed to go on as planned. Police had installed extra security measures in place after flyers made rounds online calling for mass protests to disrupt the 91st annual tree lighting in support of Gaza.
Since the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, leading to the conflict in Gaza, some 400 protests have occurred around the Big Apple. More than 600 people have been arrested at the large-scale gatherings, according to the NYPD. Over 130,000 individuals are believed to have participated in the demonstrations.
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