Protesters rally for Gaza in Union Square & across Manhattan
NEW YORK -- An estimated 5,000 people gathered in various parts of Manhattan on Labor Day Monday to rally in support of the Palestinian people.
The march entitled "Flood NYC for Gaza" started in Union Square and traversed Manhattan. It was announced last week, but happened after six Israeli hostages were recently found murdered in a tunnel in Gaza.
Demonstrators from all over the Tri-State Area gathered in Union Square at around noon. Among their messages was a call on the U.S. to halt funding to Israel.
"I believe what's going on in Gaza and the West Bank must stop. It's going on too long and that brought me to fight. I can't be there with them, but I can help here," said Zuhair Alatwi of Alpine, New York.
"I'm Palestinian, myself. Just watching it every single day, it's hard to go to sleep," added Ryan Lewis of Connecticut.
Demonstrators hit many spots in Manhattan
Organized by the group Within Our Lifetime, the demonstrators marched north passed Meta headquarters, then to Grand Central, and then south on Second Avenue, where police stopped them at 44th Street just before the Israeli consulate.
They then made their way down Fifth Avenue, passing CUNY's Graduate Center and calling for the school to divest in Israel.
"As a Palestinian daughter of Palestinian immigrants, this is a cause that's very dear to my heart. I'm out here protesting for the voiceless and that includes my family that is overseas," a woman from Rockland County said. "They're in the West Bank. I've had several family members that are already jailed, killed. And this was all unprovoked."
Within Our Lifetime posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the Labor Day action was to raise awareness about what the group calls workplace discrimination in the tech and health care industries against employees vocal about their support for the Palestinian people.
The group called on attendees to cover their face to avoid NYPD surveillance, and asked attendees to put phones in airplane mode to circumvent location tracking.
One person held a flyer to raise awareness about one man.
"Mohammed, who is a displaced Palestinian in Gaza, and send him funds right here,' a woman wearing a scarf and mask said.
Hundreds attended vigil for 6 Israeli hostages killed
The rally comes a day after hundreds gathered in Columbus Circle to remember the six hostages killed in captivity over the weekend, including 40-year-old Carmel Gat, whose funeral is happening Monday in Israel.
"Just brutally, brutally murdered them. They were all still tied. Some were shot, some were hit, some were pushed to the wall, and they ran away, instead of just leave them," said Maayan Shavit, Gat's cousin.
Within Our Lifetime said there will be a fundraiser from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday in the West Village. According to organizers, it's for doctors in Gaza and more medical equipment in the West Bank.