Pro-Palestinian protesters chant ‘death to America’ in NYC

There were shocking scenes on the streets of New York City on Monday as Palestinian activists set fire to an American flag being held by Israel supporters while chanting ‘Death to America!’ right under the noses of the NYPD. There were audible gasps as the Stars and Stripes being held by a pro-Israel counter-protestor was set alight and then waved in the air – as bright yellow flames could be seen coming from the flag.

Police officers stationed at the protest outside the New York Stock Exchange could be seen wrestling the flag and stamping out the fire as it was brought to the ground. Moments later, a fellow protestor could be heard yelling ‘Death to America’. Police officers appeared oblivious to what was happening right in front of them and in video footage appears to have little drive to chase down the man who shouted the offending phrase.

The shocking sights were part of a day of planned protest across the country that saw activists block the Brooklyn Bridge, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and roads to the Chicago O’Hare Airport in a coordinated attempt to bring America to its knees and cause maximum inconvenience. Outside Brooklyn Borough Hall, another protester burned an American flag to cinders amid cheers of jubilation on Monday. In the background, a man chants: ‘America falls today. America falls now. America will forever fall.’ On Monday afternoon, more anti-Israel protestors took to the Brooklyn Bridge and were seen walking through traffic, chanting, banging drums and igniting flares.

New York Police made numerous arrests, saying 150 protesters were initially involved in the march around 3:15pm, but that number quickly grew. The bridge was fully reopened by 5pm. Pro-Palestinian protesters used Monday’s tax day as a way to make a statement in a nationwide ‘A15’ protest. The economic blockade was scheduled in solidarity with Palestine and called for an arms embargo and an end to US taxpayer funding for Israel. Other protests broke out on Monday morning on a Philadelphia intersection and on Highway 880 in Oakland, California.

Videos shared on X showed protestors with keffiyeh scarves on their necks and head as they shouted: ‘From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free!’ Some of the demonstrators were seen holding up signs while others marched and waved colored smoke in the air. Cars stuck on the bridge honked at them as the protestors walked in front of vehicles. Demonstrators were also seen igniting flares before they tossed them into the east river. Police on bicycles managed to arrest some of the participants on the pedestrian walkway. Nerdeen Kiwanis, an organizer from Within our Lifetime, told Abc7 : ‘We don’t want our tax dollars to fund genocide. There’s a strike happening all across the country today.’

Other videos showed the New York protestors flooding subways, streets and Borough Hall as they waved Palestinian flags around. Video of the dramatic scene in the Bay Area showed a large group of police standing in front of the stuck vehicles as protestors held up a large sign that said: ‘Stop the world for Gaza.’ Lines of backed up cars were seen as drivers hopped out and leaned against their vehicles during the travel nightmare that blocked the bridge for about five hours. Some people were seen being arrested by police on the bridge, but it is unclear if they were involved in the protest. Others chained themselves to vehicles.

The multiple protests come just after Iran attacked Israel in a 350-missile airstrike early Sunday. The attack has since been described as a ‘declaration of war ‘ as Israel’s president Isaac Herzog insisted that Israel did not want a war, but suggested they would retaliate after Iran’s audacious airstrike. On Monday, around 8.23am, protestors sat in the middle of the Kennedy Expressway, linked to each other with PVC pipes and blocked the highway leading to O’Hare airport. Frustrated travelers hopped out of their vehicles and trekked 20 minutes to make their flights in time.

Dramatic footage of the blockade showed dozens chanting ‘ Palestine will be free! Free, free Palestine!’ with a loud drum roll in the background. All lanes on I-90 were blocked between Bessie Coleman Drive and the airport, but according to O’Hare International Airport, inbound traffic later resumed. ‘Allow extra time if traveling to the airport this morning,’ the airport said in a post on X at around 8.30am on Monday. The demonstrators stalled rows of traffic as some drivers were seen sitting on top of their cars. Law enforcement vehicles were present at the scene.

Many of the protestors were seen wearing keffiyeh scarves as they chanted and waved signs that read ‘Free Palestine’ and ‘Stop Genocide.’ As they chanted, angry drivers started to blast their horns, while other got out of their vehicles and hopped the guardrail to make it to their flights. The protest, which was organized by Chicago Dissenters, said that they decided to block the airport because it is ‘one of the largest in the country’ that should not be in business ‘while Palestinians suffer at the hands of American funded bombing by Israel.’

They decided to target the airport in an attempt to ‘disrupt Boeing’s operations,’ because the airplane manufacturer is ‘sending fighter jets and bombs to support Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.’ ‘ON THIS TAX DAY, THERE WILL BE NO BUSINESS AS USUAL WHILE GAZANS ARE DYING,’ the group said in an Instagram post. One angry female traveler raised her middle finger at the protestors as walked to the airport and shouted: ‘[expletive] you!’ Another passenger was seen pushing a protestor as he hurled his bags over the guardrail.

As people walked out of the cars, the protestors guided them to the side of the road, and instructed them to exit that way. ‘We have protestors putting their body on the line, they will not move until they are physically removed,’ an organizer said in a video. The group also posted a picture of a map that showed the congestion on the road as they blocked traffic and said: ‘It’s day 191 of the genocide in Gaza and we are shutting [expletive] down.’

People took to social media and commented on the protest as one said: ‘It’s past time to criminalize obstructing interstate highways. 30 days in county jail is more than appropriate,’ and tagged Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Others commented on police officers doing ‘nothing.’ A person commented: ‘Why do the cops just stand there, every time, and allow these upsets? Every. Single. Time.’ Around 8.15am, protestors were arrested in Philadelphia after they took over the intersection of Market Street and Schuylkill Avenue in Center City.

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