Anti-Israel protesters gathered outside an exhibit memorializing the victims of the October 7 Nova Music Festival, where 364 people were tragically killed by Hamas terrorists. This protest, which involved chanting “Long live the Intifada” and waving Hezbollah flags, has sparked widespread outrage.
The demonstration, part of a “citywide day of rage for Gaza,” began in Union Square and made its way to Wall Street, where the Nova Music Festival Exhibition is located. Protesters clashed with police and hurled inflammatory chants, including “Israel go to hell.” These actions have drawn swift condemnation from various quarters.
Happening Now: the pro-terror mob has gathered outside the Nova Exhibit in NYC.
Truly disgusting. They are protesting outside a memorial to the victims of October 7. pic.twitter.com/Sa1TIGslXl
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) June 10, 2024
Scooter Braun, a music industry giant and one of the exhibit’s organizers, expressed his bewilderment on social media, questioning the protesters’ motives. He urged people to visit the exhibit and learn the truth instead of engaging in such demonstrations. His sentiments were echoed by former Israeli government speechwriter Aviva Klompas, who called the protest “utterly evil,” and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, who labeled it “repulsive and vile.”
While carrying this sign. pic.twitter.com/YqW9tIp932
— Angela Van Der Pluym (@anjewla90) June 11, 2024
US Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY) and others also voiced their disgust. Joel Petlin, superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District, suggested that the protesters’ actions indicated support for the terrorists responsible for the October 7 massacre.
A man in an Israel shirt is led away from the mob outside the Nova Exhibit. We have reached the point where terror supporters can walk the streets freely, but Israel supporters cannot.
cc: @NYCMayor @NYPDnews pic.twitter.com/8ARn1Q9DVP
— Aviva Klompas (@AvivaKlompas) June 11, 2024
The Anti-Defamation League’s CEO, Jonathan Greenblatt, has previously stated that calls for intifada are essentially calls for violence against Israelis and Jews. This protest, with its chants and symbolism, seemed to align with that disturbing narrative.
The Nova Exhibit, which aims to recreate the tragic events of the October 7 festival attack, announced it would extend its run until June 22 in response to the protest. The exhibit was initially launched in April to give New Yorkers a stark look at the terror inflicted by Hamas.
Police come through to raise downed barricades on Wall Street, protesters march away from the area pic.twitter.com/dgQpDR1L0r
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 11, 2024
The protest wasn’t just confined to the exhibit area. Nearby at Zuccotti Park, an Israel supporter was surrounded and taunted by a group of protesters. Police had to intervene multiple times, and several smoke bombs were set off. The NYPD issued six summonses during the chaotic night.
“We are standing in front of 35 Wall Street, where there is an exhibit of the Nova Music Festival, a.k.a. the place where Zionists decided to rave next to a concentration camp. That’s exactly what this music festival was” Nerdeen Kiswani, organizer with Within Our Lifetime,… pic.twitter.com/L2DGzHi0a1
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 11, 2024
This incident is part of a broader trend of anti-Israel protests that have been ongoing since the attack by Hamas last year, which resulted in the deaths of 1,200 people and led to a military response from Israel. These protests have often been intense, with demonstrators blocking roadways, occupying transit hubs, and even targeting institutions like the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and public figures like Alec Baldwin.
