NY Times Bldg Swarmed by Pro-Hamas Protesters; Accuse Biden of Supporting “Genocide”

Edited by: Fern Sidman

Protesters gathered in Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan on Thursday, with hundreds expressing strong anti-Israel sentiments and occupying the lobby of the New York Times building, according to a report in the New York Post. They called for the elimination of the Jewish state and accused President Biden of supporting what they termed “genocide.” The NYP reported this rancorous demonstration marked the latest in a series of fiery protests in New York City following the October 7th Hamas massacre of 1400 people in southern Israel. What the world witnessed in the barbaric Hamas attack was the wholesale slaughter of innocents Israeli and others who were shot execution style, women who were brutally raped, babies beheaded and scores of people burned alive. This massacre prompted retaliatory strikes by Israel, the NYP report added.

The demonstrators, while marching through midtown, chanted the phrase “From river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a slogan that some associate with advocating for the eradication of Israel, as was noted in the Post report. The protesters made their displeasure known, not only targeting Israel but also taking issue with the stance taken by the Biden administration and the State Department.

Chants of “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide, you’re supporting genocide” echoed through the streets just hours after President Biden stated that there was “no possibility” of a cease-fire between Israeli troops and Hamas fighters who are waging war in a labyrinth of tunnels under the Gaza Strip.

Inside the New York Times building, protesters occupied the lobby, continuing their chants and distributed mock newspaper copies entitled “The New York War Crimes” in a display of street theater, the NYP reported. Their demands were clear, as they asserted that the New York Times was inciting genocide. They chanted slogans such as “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for the New York Times” and “Not another nickel, not another dime, no more money for Israel’s crimes,” as was indicated in the NYP report. They also criticized the publication, shouting, “New York Times, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide,” along with profane expressions.

The presence of law enforcement officers in the lobby helped maintain order as they interacted with the protesters. Eventually, they were able to clear the area.

Outside the building, an NYPD cruiser’s back window was smashed and spray-painted with the words “FREE GAZA,”  the Post reported. It was evident that tensions ran high, with protesters making their grievances known through various means.

A smoke bomb was also thrown in the vicinity, and the words “Free Palestine” were written on a Starbucks window at the New York Times building, according to information from law enforcement sources, and was reported by the NYP.

One protester, 31-year-old Ryan Bartok from Queens, asserted that the New York Times, often referred to as the “Gray Lady,” is disseminating a narrative influenced by the Israeli state, according to the NYP report.

Another demonstrator, Agatha James, also from Queens and 31 years old, stated that the protesters gathered at the Times building with the intention of delivering a forceful message.

“The direct action taken inside the building aimed to communicate a clear message to the New York Times’ editorial board. We wanted to highlight their involvement in the loss of Palestinian lives and their failure to call for a cease-fire, as well as their alleged inaccurate reporting on the situation, which some describe as a genocide,” said James, as was reported by the NYP.

Law enforcement reported no immediate arrests on Thursday evening, and the protest came to an end at approximately 6 p.m.

The NYP report also said that during the earlier stages of the rally, protesters at the New York Public Library on East 42^nd Street and Fifth Avenue reportedly climbed onto statues and displayed Palestinian flags.

A noteworthy incident occurred when a 22-year-old graduate student from NYU found himself surrounded by demonstrators and was subjected to a tense confrontation. The student, in an act of defiance, shouted in Hebrew, “Long live the beautiful state of Israel,” all while holding a poster depicting an Israeli who had been kidnapped by the Hamas terrorists on the morning of October 7^th, the NYP reported.

The student shared his experience with The Post, stating, “I walked in, I stood there, and I just felt the need to be the one voice in that entire crowd standing against this.” He explained that he had just left a seminar when the encounter took place.

Continuing, he mentioned to the NYP that “I chanted in Hebrew, which means ‘long live the people of Israel’ or ‘life to the people of Israel,’ and a swarm of them came at me, yelling. One of them took the poster out of my hand.” The student, who resides in Murray Hill and has family in Israel, expressed his perspective on the incident, saying, “Is that not a kidnapped human being? Then they yelled ‘go back to Israel.'”