Over 300 people received criminal summons' on Friday during a protest in a New York City railroad station as they called for the U.S. government to support a ceasefire in Gaza as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues, the New York Police Department (NYPD) told Newsweek.
On October 7, Hamas led the deadliest Palestinian militant attack on Israel in history. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. According to Israeli officials, 1,400 people in Israel have been killed as of Saturday, the Associated Press reported, while over 7,300 Palestinians have died, according to officials from the health ministry in Gaza, according to the AP. Over 200 hostages were also taken by Hamas and only four have been released so far.
As Israeli forces gather along the Gaza border following Hamas' surprise attack, American Jews, politicians, and celebrities have protested in an effort to protect the lives of Palestinian civilians.
Thousands gathered for a sit-in on Friday night during rush hour traffic at Grand Central Terminal in Midtown, Manhattan. The protest, which was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, an organization that describes itself as "the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world," occurred just hours after Israel knocked out the internet and communications in Gaza.
The NYPD told Newsweek via email on Saturday that 335 people received criminal court summonses for criminal trespass and disorderly conduct.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) said that its police department arrested four people who were on standing on the Metro-North sign boards with banners also in an email to Newsweek on Saturday.
"It's disappointing that this group elected to stage a protest that interfered with New Yorkers getting home from work and otherwise going about their business. We appreciate the professionalism of the MTAPD and NYPD in ensuring the safety of riders and employees," MTA Chief Safety and Security Officer Pat Warren said.
The protesters wore shirts that read "Ceasefire Now" and "Not in Our Name." The protesters held up signs that read "Palestinians Should Be Free" and "Never Again for Anyone," in reference to the Holocaust. The protest spilled out into the city streets and also included prominent New York figures.
Jay Saper of Jewish Voice for Peace told Newsweek via email on Saturday that they joined the sit-in "as a display of our collective refusal to allow Israel to continue to carry out atrocities against the Palestinians of Gaza in our name."
He continued: "I felt compelled to organize this massive civil disobedience...because my Jewish tradition teaches me that life is precious. We raised our voices together and put our bodies on the line to honor this teaching by calling for an immediate ceasefire to let Gaza live."
Local elected officials at the protest showed their support for a ceasefire including state Senators Jabari Brisport, Robert Jackson, and Julia Salazar, state Assembly Members Zohran Mamdani and Emily Gallagher, and City Council members Tiffany Caban, Alexa Avilés, Sandy Nurse, and Chi Ossé.
The House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution on Wednesday supporting Israel, which was introduced by House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Gregory W. Meeks, a New York Democrat, and Chairman Michael McCaul, a Texas Republican.
The resolution reaffirmed Israel's right to self-defense and called for Hamas to "immediately cease these violent attacks and safely release all living hostages and return the bodies of deceased hostages." Only nine Democrats and one Republican voted against the resolution while 412 congressmembers voted in approval of it.
Update 10/28/23, 1:24 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Saper.
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