34 Arrested, Issued Summonses After Disrupting NYC Thanksgiving Parade
Crime & Safety
The parade-obstructing protest erupted near Sixth Avenue and West 45th Street about 10 a.m. after several people jumped the barricades.The parade-obstructing protest erupted near Sixth Avenue and West 45th Street about 10 a.m. after several people jumped the barricades. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)NEW YORK, NY - 34 pro-Palestine protesters were arrested or issued criminal court summonses after disrupting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Thursday morning, authorities said.
The protest erupted at Sixth Avenue and West 45th Street about 10 a.m. after several people jumped the barricades, resulting in four arrests, police said. Another 30 individuals were issued court summonses for trespassing.
Those arrested include a 34-year-old man from Washington D.C., a 29-year-old Long Island woman, a 26-year-old Manhattan woman and a 32-year-old Staten Island man, police said.
Some protesters glued themselves to the parade route, prompting parade participants to go around them, ABC7 reported . Parade disruptions were reported at two other locations at West 49th Street and West 59th Street, according to the outlet.
The New York-based organizers behind the demonstration, Within Our Lifetime Palestine and Decolonize This Place, told protesters on social media to “show up along the parade route with Palestine flags and signs” and meet at Madison Square Park at 11 a.m. Thursday.
“Join us in support of Gaza, ALL of Palestine, and ALL indigenous people resisting everywhere,” the protest organizers wrote in a joint statement on Instagram earlier this week.
“As Amerikkka celebrates its genocidal history of the horrors perpetrated against the indigenous people on turtle island, we remind the world that genocide is as American as apple pie. This history continues to this day as we watch the U.S.A orchestrate one of the most horrific genocides being carried out in our time. Payed [sic] for by our tax dollars with the support of our representatives.”
At a Wednesday evening press conference, Mayor Eric Adams told reporters the city was prepared for protest actions that could impede parade festivities.
"We're not going to tolerate any disruption," Adams said, responding to a reporter question about potential protests during the parade. "We are prepared to deal with a multitude of things ... in coordination with other city agencies."
NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said the agency has "been on high alert since Oct. 7," adding heightened security measures would be in place at the annual parade.
Uniformed officers were scheduled to be patrolling on and around parade routes, Caban said, plus "other measures that you won't see."
We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here
