The New York Police Department detained 21 pro-Palestinian activists on Thursday morning after they briefly disrupted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The protesters jumped over barriers on West 55th Street around 9:30 a.m. EST, sat on the parade route, and linked arms while chanting “Free Palestine.” They displayed two Palestinian flags and a banner reading “Don’t celebrate genocide,” demanding an arms embargo and land for Palestinians.
The protest, which lasted about five minutes, drew boos from spectators. Many protesters had their faces covered. NYPD officers quickly intervened, removing the demonstrators and restoring the parade route. The charges against those arrested have not yet been disclosed.
Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupted the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade by obstructing the route, resulting in multiple arrests.
pic.twitter.com/VDOLu8btRU— 💋🇺🇸 Country Over Party🇺🇸🇮🇱🇺🇦🇹🇼 (@gagirlpolitics) November 28, 2024
Mass arrests at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade after Palestine protesters block road.pic.twitter.com/be9ltoQNxf
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) November 28, 2024
This incident marked the second consecutive year that pro-Palestinian activists targeted the parade, specifically obstructing the path of the Ronald McDonald balloon. The demonstration was linked to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, which intensified after Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israeli civilians.
In 2022, 34 protesters disrupted the parade by blocking the McDonald’s float and gluing their hands to the street. Charges included trespassing, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration.
Despite the disruption, the annual event, which began at 8:30 a.m. in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, continued its 2.5-mile route to Macy’s Herald Square on 34th Street. The parade, a tradition since 1924, paused only briefly before resuming to cheers from the crowd. It has been held every year except during World War II, from 1942 to 1944.
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