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Pro-Palestinian protesters arrested at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology as Israel enters Rafah

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On Tuesday night, heavily armed New York Police Department officers arrested several pro-Palestinian demonstrators outside the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City.

Protesters hold up banners on the sidewalk outside the Fashion Institute of Technology on Friday, April 26, 2024, in New York City. As the Gaza war death toll mounts and the humanitarian crisis worsens, protesters at universities across the country are demanding that schools cut off economic ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are fueling the conflict. (AP Photo/Karen Matthews) (AP)
Protesters hold up banners on the sidewalk outside the Fashion Institute of Technology on Friday, April 26, 2024, in New York City. As the Gaza war death toll mounts and the humanitarian crisis worsens, protesters at universities across the country are demanding that schools cut off economic ties to Israel and divest from companies they say are fueling the conflict. (AP Photo/Karen Matthews) (AP)

Hundreds of protesters reportedly gathered in Union Square to demand a ceasefire as Israel entered the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, CBS News reported.

UN officials have sounded the alarm that northern Gaza is already facing its worst “total famine” and slammed Israeli forces for occupying the Rafah crossing between Egypt and southern Gaza (Al Jazeera).

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday: “The closure of Rafah and Kerem Shalom [Karem Abu Salem] Crossings are particularly damaging to an already dire humanitarian situation. They must reopen immediately. “

What happened at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York?

Although the march was initially peaceful, police closely monitored the demonstrations and eventually arrested many people. As of this writing, the exact number of people arrested has not been disclosed.

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After gathering in Union Square, the anti-Israel march headed to the academy in Chelsea and regrouped around pro-Palestinian encampments.

CBS reporter Dan Rice reported that authorities eventually dismantled the encampment.

Protest organizer Rayan Fulehan said of the surge in pro-Palestinian protests in New York: “This is all part of putting political pressure on the system.” They further explained, “What the past few months have shown is that, in fact, when When we organize and come together, we have more power than we think.”

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Meanwhile, the FIT arrests made headlines as New York City Mayor Eric Adams addressed the desecration of a World War I statue on the Upper East Side. He also announced that he would spend $5,000 of his own money to obtain information about the attackers who targeted the memorial.

CBS News further reported that the statue at the corner of 67th Street and Fifth Avenue was damaged with spray paint, with vandals writing the words “Gaza,” “Free Palestine” and “Let Gaza Live.” According to US media reports, the police suspected that the move was to disrupt the Met Gala.