Dozens arrested after pro-Palestinian protesters swarm Brooklyn Museum
NEW YORK - Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators swarmed the Brooklyn Museum and dozens were arrested Friday.
The New York City Police Department said 34 people were taken into custody.
The protests started around 4 p.m. in Fort Greene, where hundreds gathered to march near the Barclays Center.
Protesters made their way to the Brooklyn Museum around 30 minutes later. Video shows museum employees rushing to lock the doors as they approached.
Some protesters even scaled the building and unfurled a giant banner from the roof reading, "Free Palestine. Divest from genocide."
Brooklyn Museum officials said they did not call the NYPD, but police arrived on the scene and clashed with demonstrators before making arrests.
The museum said in a statement to CBS New York that existing and newly installed artwork on their plaza was damaged, and members of the museum's public safety staff were physically and verbally harassed as protesters entered.
The museum closed an hour early out of concern for the safety of the building, its collections and staff.
Police said the group behind the demonstration has organized several others, including one near the Met Gala in May.
The demonstration came on the same day President Joe Biden said Israel offered a new cease-fire proposal, and as Israel continues its push further into the Rafah, a city in southern Gaza.
"Israel has offered a comprehensive new proposal," Mr. Biden said. "It's a roadmap to an enduring cease-fire and the release of all hostages. This proposal has been transmitted by Qatar to Hamas."
The protest also came ahead of the 60th annual Israel Day on Fifth Parade on Sunday. An internal threat assessment obtained by CBS New York said the event may be "an attractive target for an act of mass violence or disruption."
Israel continues to face mounting international criticism over Palestinian deaths and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.