MANHATTAN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Hundreds of Palestinian supporters gathered for a demonstration near the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in Manhattan Wednesday evening.
A large crowd of demonstrators gathered at Sixth Avenue and West 48th Street, about two blocks away from where the tree lighting ceremony was taking place at Rockefeller Center.
Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian-led community organization, called for people to rally at Rockefeller Center to protest the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza.
Protesters could be heard yelling “Free Palestine,” and some demonstrators held signs reading “Let Gaza Live,” “Zionism is terrorism,” and “End Genocide.”
The protest did not impact the Rockefeller Center tree lighting ceremony as of 8 p.m. The NYPD dedicated resources just for the protest.
Wednesday is also the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, observed by the United Nations since 1977.
For weeks, protesters in New York City have called for a permanent ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict to end the bloodshed.
On Sunday, a protest organized by Jewish peace activists blocked traffic on the Manhattan Bridge while calling on President Joe Biden to push for a permanent ceasefire in the conflict.
“Experts are saying that the rate of killing in Gaza has few precedents in recent history. We refuse to allow the US to fund and fuel a genocide in our names,” Jewish Voice for Peace, the group that organized the Manhattan Bridge protest, posted on Instagram.
Last week, more than two dozen pro-Palestinian protesters briefly disrupted the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.
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