The protest began in Union Square, but soon demonstrators took over a subway station, causing service disruptions. They then boarded a train to Wall Street, where a large crowd gathered outside The Nova Music Festival Exhibition.
The Nova exhibit honors the victims of the October 7 terrorist attack at an Israeli music festival.
Outside the museum, protesters lit flares and set off smoke canisters, chanting “long live the intifada” and holding signs celebrating the massacre.
Police were present in the subways and among the crowd, working to keep order.
The NYPD’s chief of transit defended the officers’ actions on X, stating “when well over 100 plus people enter a subway station at the same time, with some yelling and chanting, some acting disorderly, and some entering illegally by ‘jumping the turnstile,’ I’d say it’s only appropriate that the police get involved to determine what is going on.”
Congressman Ritchie Torres and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine criticized the crowd on social media, with Levine describing their behavior as “vile” and “repulsive.”
The newly opened Nova exhibit showcases items collected from the tragic festival, including charred cars, bullet-riddled bathroom stalls, and camping tents.
