Gaza genocide: Pro-Palestinian demonstrators clash with police outside Brooklyn Museum; several arrested

New York police arrested several pro-Palestinian demonstrators after clashes outside the Brooklyn Museum, where hundreds gathered on Friday afternoon to protest Israel’s nearly seven-month bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 36,000 Palestinians.

Protests began around 4pm in Fort Greene, with plans to march near the Barclays Center to condemn the ongoing Israeli military attacks, according to international media.

The Brooklyn Museum closed an hour early due to the disruption, which included skirmishes between police and protesters inside and outside the building.

The museum administration stated it did not call the police, but officers arrived and clashed with demonstrators, making arrests. The exact number of detainees is unknown, according to CBS News and the NYPD.

The protest coincided with US President Joe Biden’s announcement of Israel’s new cease-fire proposal amid its offensive in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. Biden urged Hamas to accept the three-phase deal and called on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to resist pressure from coalition members opposing it.

Despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire, Israel has continued its offensive since a Hamas attack on October 7. More than 36,200 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have been killed, and nearly 81,800 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Gaza faces widespread destruction and a severe blockade on food, clean water, and medicine. Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice, which recently ordered an immediate halt to its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge before it was invaded on May 6.