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Pro-Hamas Protesters Chant “Long Live the Intifada” in Rockefeller Center Xmas Disruption
Edited by: Fern Sidman
In a rancorous demonstration, hundreds of pro-Hamas, pro-terror protesters gathered in Midtown Manhattan on Monday, converging on the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, as was reported by the New York Post. Carrying a blood-red mock Nativity scene, the crowd chanted, “Christmas is canceled here,” drawing attention to their cause amid the holiday celebrations.
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 – The New York Police Department is responding to a level three mobilization, with level four being the worst, after clashes erupted between police and pro-Palestine protesters at a major demonstration in Midtown Manhattan.
Officers have reportedly sustained… pic.twitter.com/PfWiqFMEW2
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) December 26, 2023
The demonstrators, numbering around 500, shouted “Long live the intifada,” utilizing the Arabic term for “rebellion” or “uprising,” according to the Post report. Rockefeller Center, usually a symbol of festive joy during the Christmas season, became a focal point for the protest. Signs with messages like “While Ur Shopping Bombs are Dropping” and “No Joy In Genocide” were displayed, the latter atop the faux Nativity scene, appearing to be splattered in fake blood, the Post report added.
Pro-Palestinian activists carry what appears to be a Palestinian-flag draped nativity scene through midtown Manhattan chanting “no celebration until liberation”
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) December 26, 2023
As night fell, scuffles broke out in the crowd, with incidents reported outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The information provided in the Post report said that at least six arrests, including charges for disorderly conduct, menacing, and graffiti, were reported near Grand Central Station and Union Square, where clashes between protesters and law enforcement occurred.
#BREAKING Level 3 mobilization called by the NYPD, with 4 being the highest, as Pro-Palestine protest ends in arrests and NYPD officer injured at “All Out on Christmas for Gaza” Protest in Midtown Manhattan. pic.twitter.com/D163xaq90A
— Oliya Scootercaster 🛴 (@ScooterCasterNY) December 26, 2023
Even as the crowd thinned at Union Square, dozens of protesters waving Palestinian flags remained, leaving behind signs and flyers that read “Zionism is terrorism” and “Murdered by Israel,” the report in the Post said. Pro-Palestine slogans, such as “From NY to Gaza, Globalize the Intifada” and “Netanyahu is a warmonger,” were scrawled on the exterior of the Union Square Holiday Market.
This demonstration follows a pro-Hamas car caravan that disrupted Christmas carolers at Washington Square Park on Monday evening as was previously reported by the Post. The caravan, blaring music, aimed to draw attention to the ongoing tensions in the Middle East following Hamas’ October 7th attack, which triggered retaliatory strikes by Israel in the Gaza Strip.
🚨#BREAKING: NYPD Calls for Level Three Mobilization Amidst Numerous Fights Between Pro-Palestine Protesters and Police at a Large Protest
Currently, the New York Police Department has requested a Level Three mobilization for a large protest that is taking place in Midtown… pic.twitter.com/1sahnjmU4K
— Stiff Martini (@stiffmartini) December 26, 2023
The disruptive nature of these protests has sparked debates about the appropriateness of such actions during the holiday season, raising questions about the intersection of activism and public festivities.
A Christmas Day demonstration in Manhattan, typically filled with holiday revelers and tourists, prompted heightened security measures outside the News Corp headquarters on Sixth Avenue, as was noted in the Post report. The building houses major media outlets such as Fox News, The Post, and the Wall Street Journal, making it a significant target for protesters.
💡🇺🇲🇵🇸 The #NewYork City Police Department is responding to a Level 3 mobilization (Level 4 is the most severe) after clashes broke out between police & pro-Palestinian protesters at a large demonstration in midtown #Manhattan.#Israel #PalestinaLibre #PalestinianLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/Ztg4v5OZkQ
— __kaput__ (@__kaput__) December 26, 2023
This is not the first time protesters have focused on the media company, with previous incidents occurring last month. The Post reported that on November 29, hundreds of demonstrators, including one seen carrying a swastika, stormed the Sixth Avenue building after being blocked from Rockefeller Center during a well-organized “Flood the Tree Lighting for Gaza” protest. The situation escalated, leading to at least seven arrests and sporadic skirmishes between NYPD officers and some demonstrators, the Post report added.
Earlier on November 17, police arrested 16 protesters during a smaller demonstration targeting the News Corp building. As was indicated in the Post report, some of the demonstrators managed to force their way into the lobby, calling for “direct action” to “globalize intifada.” The group held banners claiming that Fox News “covers up genocide.”
TERRIBLE- Merry Christmas?!#NYPD responded to a Level 3 mobilization-level 4 the worst, after clashes erupted btwn Police & pro-Palestine protesters at a major demonstration in Midtown
Officers have sustained multiple injuries during the altercations
— 🇺🇸Lady De’Plorable🇺🇸 (@LadyRedWave) December 26, 2023
These incidents are part of a broader pattern of unrest targeting News Corp. The company was identified as a target for radical protesters in a disturbing map that labeled it as “an enemy of both the Palestinian people and colonized people all over the world,” according to the Post report. The call for action against News Corp came from Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Hamas support group.
As tensions persist in the wake of the Hamas attack in October, these protests highlight the challenges faced by major media organizations in balancing coverage of international conflicts and maintaining a safe and secure environment for their employees and visitors.