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Thousands of Anti-Israel Protesters March in NYC on Oct. 7 Anniversary

Michael Foust

Thousands of anti-Israel protesters rallied in New York City on the anniversary of the Oct. 7 attacks to pledge support for a Palestinian state and to call for an end to U.S. support to Israel. Palestinians, one protester shouted to a cheering crowd, are "continuing many decades of righteous struggle for their homeland." One pro-Palestinian sign compared Israel to Nazis. Another sign said Israel is "responsible for 76 years of tragic bloodshed." Still, another sign urged the federal government to "end all U.S. aid to Israel."

Protesters marched behind a large banner declaring, "From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will Be Free."

A massive Palestinian flag was unfurled on the street in front of the New York Stock Exchange as pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with supporters of Israel in an event that was largely peaceful, even if troublesome to Jewish residents. During one moment, protesters chanted, "Globalize the intifada." 

"I live right here. My kids go to school one block from here. It's horrible," one Jewish protester, a father, told ABC 7. "We're Israeli. It feels very unsafe. I may sound confident to you, but I'm shaking."

The protesters, he said, were defending the "barbaric slaughter of 1,200 civilians" -- a reference to the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, when Israelis were killed in their homes and countless women were raped.  

Meanwhile, protests were held at Columbia University, which was the home of protests during the spring that saw hundreds arrested. On Monday, hundreds of Columbia University students staged a walkout, holding banners reading, "We will honor all our martyrs," "Free Gaza free speech," and "Break the chains and let them fall," according to the Columbia Spectator. Columbia protesters shouted, "Free, free Palestine," and "There is only one solution, intifada revolution."

"Until Palestine is free," one speaker said, "our resistance will remain steadfast and strong, and we will remain committed to liberation."

WATCH: Pro-Israel and Pro-Palestine Protesters Clash in Manhattan on Oct. 7 Anniversary


Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Stephanie Keith

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.