Over 150 anti-Israel protesters arrested during street takeover in NYC

On Friday, over 150 anti-Israel protestors were reportedly arrested in Manhattan New York for blocking traffic during their demonstration which called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. 

According to the New York Post, demonstrators with the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA) organization marched down 3rd Avenue from Bryant Park chanting, "Ceasefire now!"

Police began arresting protestors when the organization sat down on the street about a block away from Democrat Senator Kristen Gillibrand's office and refused to leave when Police ordered them to do so. 

In a post on X, the New York Chapter of the DSA wrote, "Our movement won’t stand by while our government bankrolls war crimes." It continued, "It’s time to end the blockade, send in humanitarian aid, and build a just & lasting peace. #CeasefireNow!"

DSA New York member Sumaya Awad told ABC 7, "We're out here because 2.2 million Palestinians in Gaza are being bombed."

"Unfortunately, our political leaders seem to keep failing to learn that lesson again and again, that war is not the answer," another protester said. 

Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani told the outlet, "We believe in the sanctity of all life, and so we have condemned the civilians who were killed on October 7 in Hamas' horrific attack, and we condemn the 4,100 Palestinians who've been killed since then."

Palestinian demonstrator Lamas Deek claimed that Hamas was acting out of self-defense in its October 7 massacre. He said, "People have to be able to defend themselves. It doesn't mean that everything they do is accurate but people need to understand, what choice are they left with." 

"We're talking about 75 years of settler colonialism, we're talking about 75 years of oppression, we're talking about bringing a cease-fire to the current situation, but we want to be very clear: a cease-fire does not bring peace to the people Gaza," another pro-Hamas demonstrator, Wasim Kanan claimed. 

Since Hamas' October 7 terror attack on Israel, nearly 1,500 people have been killed in Israel, and Palestinian authorities have claimed that 2,700 people have been killed in Gaza.