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New York, United States of America (USA)
Pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrate blocking a local street, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City, May 18. (Reuters)
Anti-Israel protesters clash with NYPD officers in Brooklyn, leading to multiple arrests amid raucous demonstration
Anti-Israel protesters clashed with New York Police Department (NYPD) officers on Saturday, resulting in a series of arrests and chaotic scenes in the city’s Brooklyn neighbourhood.
Video footage captured a throng of some 250 demonstrators pushing back against police efforts to redirect them toward the sidewalk in Bay Ridge, according to the New York Post. As tensions escalated, city law enforcement personnel resorted to physical intervention, tackling and apprehending several protesters.
BREAKING: NYPD CLASHES WITH PRO-PALESTINIAN PROTESTORS IN NYCThe officers can be seen punching protestors as they attempt to arrest them.pic.twitter.com/fNr7oD1Oi0
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) May 18, 2024
Amid the scuffle, officers forcibly removed demonstrators while facing verbal resistance and objects hurled in their direction, including a water bottle. During the protest, a protester found himself pinned against a van by police, prompting onlookers to vociferously demand his release. Despite the fervent protests, the NYPD refrained from disclosing an official tally of arrests.
This protest came as the Gaza-led demonstrations reached all corners of the United States. It has become the largest campus protest movement in decades and spread to other countries, including many in Europe. Nearly 3,000 people have been arrested on US campuses over the past month. As summer break approaches in the US, there have been fewer new arrests and campuses have been calmer. However, colleges have been vigilant for disruptions to commencement ceremonies.
The latest Israel-Hamas war began when Hamas and other militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and taking an additional 250 hostage. Palestinian militants still hold about 100 captives, and Israel’s military has killed more than 35,000 people in Gaza, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which doesn’t distinguish between civilians and combatants.
(With agency inputs)
