Hundreds of protesters packed the main concourse of New York City’s famed Grand Central Terminal during Friday evening rush hour, chanting slogans and unfurling banners demanding a ceasefire in Israel. Increased bombing intensity of the Gaza Strip.
At least 200 demonstrators wearing black T-shirts that read “Jews Demand Ceasefire Now” and “Not In Our Name” were detained by NYPD officers and led out of the train station with their hands tied behind their backs with zip ties Their backs. The NYPD said protesters were briefly detained, issued citations and released, and a more accurate number of those detained would be released Saturday morning.
Some protesters climbed onto a stone ledge in front of a leaderboard listing departure times and held up banners. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is asking commuters to use Penn Station as an alternative. After the sit-in was broken up by police, remaining protesters spilled onto the street outside.
Advocacy group Jewish Voice for Peace said on social media: “Hundreds of Jews and friends are occupying Grand Central Station for a historic sit-in calling for a ceasefire.”
This scene echoes what happened last week Capitol Hill sit-in In Washington, Jewish advocacy groups including Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now flocked to congressional office buildings. More than 300 people were arrested for illegal demonstrations.
Israel stepped up airstrikes in the Gaza Strip on Friday, knocking out the internet and essentially cutting off access to the 2.3 million people in the besieged Palestinian enclave. The Hamas Health Ministry in Gaza said more than 7,300 people have been killed, more than 60% of whom were minors and women.
The Israeli military announced an “expanded” ground operation in the area, signaling it was moving closer to a full-scale invasion of Gaza and vowed to crack down on the ruling Hamas militant group. bloody invasion Three weeks ago in southern Israel. According to the Israeli government, more than 1,400 people were killed in Israel during the attacks and at least 229 hostages were taken to Gaza.
The United Nations General Assembly approved a non-binding resolution calling for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza that would halt hostilities. It was the United Nations’ first response to Hamas’s October 7 raid and Israel’s ongoing military response.
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