Thousands rally in New York in solidarity with Palestinians on anniversary of Israel-Hamas conflict

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- On the first anniversary of Hamas' assault on Israel which falls on Oct. 7, thousands of protesters took to the streets of New York City to express solidarity with the Palestinians and demand an immediate ceasefire from Israel amid the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The protest, one of many across the United States, started at 1 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) as hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered on Wall Street. Organized by Within Our Lifetime, a pro-Palestinian activist organization, the protesters unfurled a massive Palestinian flag and chanted slogans in support of Palestine, such as "Free, free, free Palestine" and "Israel bombs, U.S. pays, how many kids did you kill today?"

A female leader of the group passionately declared that they would "flood New York City" in solidarity with Gaza and Lebanon.

Protesters proceeded with their march from Wall Street to New York City Hall, Washington Square Park, Union Square, Times Square, and Columbus Circle. Many participants wore kaffiyehs, passionately playing drums and proudly waving Palestinian flags. They marched through the streets, holding up a wide array of banners and signs, with messages such as "Israel is starving Palestinian children" and "From Gaza to Lebanon, resistance unites us."

As the march progressed, more supporters joined, hence a protesting throng of some 2,000 people.

Falestin Hura, a New Yorker with close ties to Palestine and Jordan, expressed his concerns about the situation to Xinhua, citing the high death toll of over 40,000 people, more than 100,000 injured, and millions displaced in Gaza.

Hura added that Israeli authorities should get off Palestinian land, saying "I'm sure you had extremists on every side, but for the most part, the people itself want to live in peace."

Haleem, another pro-Palestinian protester, told Xinhua that Israel must end its occupation of Gaza and its offensive in Lebanon. "Cease-fire now," he demanded.

Alongside the larger demonstrations in New York City, hundreds of Columbia University students gathered on campus, while about 300 students at New York University also participated in a separate demonstration, according to local news outlets.

Occasional clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli supporters have occurred in the streets. During the march, a pro-Israeli individual found himself surrounded by a pro-Palestinian crowd at Union Square. A bitter altercation took place, resulting in the pro-Israeli man's Israeli flag being snatched from his hand.

Following the arrest of over 100 protesters at Columbia University in April, pro-Palestinian demonstrations began to proliferate at colleges and universities throughout the United States. As students return to campuses this fall, many universities have introduced new policies to restrict protest activities.

While pro-Palestinian demonstrations are gaining momentum, there have also been smaller-scale pro-Israeli demonstrations and memorial events in New York City.

Israel's military has been conducting a large-scale offensive in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas' deadly cross-border raid on Oct. 7, 2023, which resulted in the deaths of around 1,200 Israelis and the abduction of approximately 250 people.

Gaza-based health authorities reported on Monday that the death toll among Palestinians from the ongoing Israeli attacks has risen to nearly 42,000.