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On Thursday, December 28, thousands of pro-Palestine protestors flooded lower Manhattan, with one group of protestors even managing to shit down the entrance to a World Trade Center building. The entrance to the Oculus Center was taken over by protestors carrying signs and singing chants against the Israeli attacks on Palestine and in condemnation of Joe Biden.
The protests were part of the "Flood NYC for Palestine" emergency march. Some netizens were outraged by the protestors' actions and condemned them for involving the World Trade Center, the very same location of the 9/11 attacks. These netizens claimed that the protestors were disrespecting the United States of America. One X (formerly known as Twitter) user commented,
Netizens outraged by World Trade Center protests
Lower Manhattan was taken over by thousands of anti-Israel protestors on Thursday as part of the "Flood NYC for Palestine" emergency march. Protestors carrying signs and singing "Free Palestine" chants swarmed the area and many prominent landmarks, including the Bank of New York Mellon headquarters, Zuccotti Park, and City Hall.
However, the one landmark stormed by protestors that caught the ire of social media users was the Oculus Center located at the World Trade Center. Protestors surrounded the front doors to the Oculus as the police escorted civilians to exits away from the protestors.
Videos shared online show the World Trade Center being swarmed with protestors singing chants, waving Palestinian flags and signs condemning the actions of Israel, and calling for a ceasefire after Israel only recently strengthened its ground invasion of Gaza. One sign said, "Genocide Joe has got 2 go". The protestors sang, "Free Free Palestine" and "From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free."
Some netizens were outraged by the protestors swarming the World Trade Center building entrance. One user said that this was "not okay," while another stated that the World Trade Center protests were " a spit in the face of every American." Many social media users said that the protests were trying to "disrespect America" and demanded prosecution.
These netizens wanted to see arrests and claimed that the people protesting were supporting a terrorist organization. Many social media users reacted to the protests and stated they had the opposite effect on citizens. Here are a few X reactions to Collin Rugg's tweet about the protests:
Within Our Lifetime founder Nerdeen Kiswandi blames "genocide" on the United States
Before marching to the World Trade Center, the protestors assembled at Zuccotti Park, where the founder of the organization that set up the march, Within Our Lifetime, Nerdeen Kiswandi, gave an impassioned speech. She claimed that the Palestine resistance would have defeated Israel long ago if it weren't for the political and financial backing of the U.S. She said, according to The New York Post,
"It’s this country that’s waging a genocide against the Palestinian people."
She added,
"It’s this country, the United States, that sent the weapons manufactured by US companies, paid for by our tax dollars – my and your tax dollars – that have killed upwards of 10,000 Palestinian children."
The protestors also made a pitstop at Greenwich Street to shout "Shame!" at the Bank of New York Mellon headquarters, where they condemned the bank for investing millions into Elbit Systems, the IDF's weapon and technology supplier. The march finally ended with a prayer session at Foley Square.
This protest occurred alongside a Jewish pro-Palestine protesters' funeral-themed procession protest from Bryant Park to Times Square. Protestors carried and laid to rest the effigies of 500 deceased kids, representing both Jewish and Palestinian children who lost their lives because of the conflict in Gaza. They mourned the loss of life on both sides and condemned the actions of the Israeli government.
