Hundreds Detained in NYC as They Call for Israeli Cease-Fire in Grand Central Terminal

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During Friday evening’s peak commuter hours, New York City’s iconic Grand Central Terminal was inundated with hundreds of demonstrators. The crowd chanted and displayed banners urging Israel to halt its escalating military actions in the Gaza Strip.

At least 200 individuals, dressed in black T-shirts emblazoned with phrases like “Jews demand a cease-fire now” and “Not in our name,” were apprehended by officers from the New York Police Department. Their hands were secured with zip ties as they were escorted out of the train station. According to the NYPD, those detained were given summonses and subsequently released. A more precise tally of detentions is expected to be revealed on Saturday morning.

Some of the demonstrators took the initiative to climb the stone platforms in front of the departure boards, raising banners. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority urged commuters to opt for Penn Station instead. Following the police’s dissolution of the sit-in, the residual protesters dispersed onto the adjacent streets.

Jewish Voice for Peace, an advocacy organization, described the event on social media as a “historic sit-in” involving “hundreds of Jews and allies” and calling for a cease-fire.

This protest in New York mirrored a similar demonstration on Capitol Hill last week. Jewish groups such as Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now gathered inside a congressional office building in Washington, D.C., resulting in the arrest of over 300 people for unlawful protests.

On Friday, Israel intensified its aerial bombardments across the Gaza Strip, disrupting internet services and largely severing communication links with the enclave’s 2.3 million residents. The Health Ministry in Gaza, governed by Hamas, reported that the death toll has surpassed 7,300, with more than 60% being women and minors.

Israel’s military communicated that it was enlarging its ground operations in Gaza, indicating a potential full-scale invasion. This follows its announcement to neutralize the governing Hamas group, subsequent to its violent foray into southern Israel three weeks prior. The Israeli government reported over 1,400 fatalities in Israel due to the incursion, with a minimum of 229 individuals being abducted into Gaza.

In a recent move, the United Nations General Assembly passed a non-binding resolution advocating for a “humanitarian truce” in Gaza, aiming to cease the ongoing hostilities. This resolution marked the U.N.’s inaugural response to the unexpected attacks by Hamas on October 7 and Israel’s continuous military retaliation.

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More about NYC Protesters Demand Israeli Cease-Fire

• New York Times: Grand Central Terminal Protests
• BBC News: Israel Intensifies Bombardment of Gaza
• UN General Assembly Resolution on Gaza
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority Advisory
• Jewish Voice for Peace Official Statement
• NYPD Official Press Release
• Capitol Hill Sit-In Coverage
• Gaza Strip Health Ministry Report
• Israeli Government Statement on Military Actions