From Le Figaro with AFP
Published 1 hour ago, updated 57 minutes ago
Protesters against the war in Gaza are arrested in New York on January 8, 2024 for blocking traffic at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel. BRYAN R. SMITH / AFP
Dozens of demonstrators chained themselves together on several bridges between Brooklyn and Manhattan to protest the war between Israel and Hamas.
Dozens of pro-Palestinian New York demonstrators briefly blocked iconic bridges and a tunnel in the American city on Monday, January 8, to protest the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Since the start of the devastating Israeli bombings in the Gaza Strip following the bloody Hamas attack on October 7, New York has lived to the rhythm of actions in support of the Palestinians or Israel.
Almost two million Jews and hundreds of thousands of Arabs and Muslims live in the multicultural city with 8.5 million inhabitants. However, these demonstrations go beyond community division and we need to add millions of residents of all faiths in the New York suburbs of upstate New Jersey (south and west), the Long Island Peninsula (east), and upscale Westchester County (in the north).
In a spectacular action under a bright blue winter sky, demonstrators tied and chained themselves to each other and to tires and chairs on the famous Brooklyn Bridge, which connects the eponymous district with the island of Manhattan, AFP journalists reported.
“Free Palestine!”
“It is important because there must be a ceasefire (in Gaza). It's important to disrupt daily life to show that we must end the siege of Gaza,” said Olivia Levine, a 31-year-old actress and author. Chanting “Free Palestine!”, she assured that “this is just the beginning” of the demonstrations, while New York and its suburbs have been rocked by pro-Palestinian actions and in support of Israel for three months and almost daily. mostly peaceful.
Dozens of police moved in to release and arrest the protesters who had been clinging to the Brooklyn Bridge's infrastructure, while other coordinated movements took place on the twin Williamsburg and Manhattan bridges that connect Brooklyn to Manhattan over the East River.
Dozens of protesters were also arrested for blocking traffic at the entrance to the large Holland Tunnel, which connects New York and New Jersey under the Hudson River. The New York Police Department (NYPD) assured that calm and traffic had returned to normal by late morning, but did not provide information on how many people had been arrested.
” data-script=”https://static.lefigaro.fr/widget-video/short-ttl/video/index.js” >