Hundreds of pro-Palestinian rioters force their way into New York Times headquarters, accusing the paper and Biden administration of abetting Israeli ‘genocide’ of Gazans.
By The Associated Press
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied the lobby of The New York Times on Thursday, demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza while accusing the media of showing a bias toward Israel in its coverage of the Israel-Hamas war.
The latest in a series of near-nightly demonstrations since the start of the war saw thousands march through Midtown Manhattan to protest Israel’s counter-terror operation in Gaza.
At around 5 p.m., a group of demonstrators led by media workers calling themselves “Writers Bloc” entered the atrium of the Times building carrying a banner demanding a cease-fire.
They remained for over an hour, reading off the names of thousands of Gazans killed in the war, including at least 36 journalists whose deaths have been confirmed since the war began.
They scattered editions of a mock newspaper — “The New York War Crimes” — that charged the media with “complicity in laundering genocide” and called on The Times’ editorial board to publicly back a cease-fire.
Photos showed the word “Lies” painted across the doors of the Times headquarters. It wasn’t immediately clear if anyone was arrested during the sit-in.
The action came hours after students across New York City walked out of classrooms in support of Gaza. Some remained in the streets for a protest that snarled traffic in Manhattan during rush hour and grew unruly at times.
The demonstration at The Times was the latest in a series of actions at high-profile locations in New York against Israel’s counter-terror operation in Gaza, sparked by the October 7th invasion that left over 1,400 Israelis dead.
On Tuesday, activists with the group Jewish Voice for Peace briefly took over the Statue of Liberty. The week prior, hundreds of people packed into Grand Central Terminal, shutting down the commuting hub during rush hour while hoisting banners that read “Ceasefire Now.”