Protesters chant ‘UK and US can go to hell’ in Times Square after Biden bombs Houthis in Yemen

"It is right to rebel," chanted the group of protesters who added, "US, UK go to hell."

The protest came after the Department of Defense announced that the US and UK armed forces launched strikes on Yemeni Houthis in response to ongoing missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea that have been occurring since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The airstrikes were designed to degrade Houthi military capabilities, said National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby.

The group of demonstrators wore keffiyeh scarves and arrived with pro-Palestinian signage and flags as they descended upon Times Square, one of the most famous and highest-visited spots in the Big Apple.

"From Yemen to Palestine, resistance is justified," the group chanted as they marched through the streets of NYC.

"Occupation is a crime," they added, as their voices blared through the dark and dreary night city streets.

On Tuesday, the Houthis carried out one of the most significant attacks in the Red Sea. According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), three US destroyers, accompanied by US F-18s and a British warship, successfully intercepted and downed 18 drones and multiple missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

Referred to as a "complex attack" by CENTCOM, this event took place within a week of a collective statement released by the US and several other countries. The statement cautioned the Houthis about potential repercussions should they continue their attacks.

Last Wednesday, the White House released a joint statement, stating, "The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."

A congressional source revealed on Thursday that the Biden administration had briefed congressional leaders on plans to conduct strikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen.

Biden issued a statement following the retaliatory attack, saying, "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."

"These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation. More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea—which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times. And on January 9, Houthis launched their largest attack to date—directly targeting American ships."

Shortly after taking office in 2021, President Joe Biden reversed President Donald Trump's designation of the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis as a terror group.

In so doing, Biden spoke about the need to deal with the humanitarian disaster in Yemen at the time. The Trump administration believed that the Houthis had used violent campaigns to destabilize the region.