More than 200 pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested during a sit-in outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) as they demanded an end to US military support for Israel amidst the ongoing war in Gaza.
The demonstration saw activists, including members of Jewish Voice for Peace, gathering in front of the NYSE building in lower Manhattan, chanting "Let Gaza live" and "Stop funding genocide."
This protest comes as the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to escalate.
Since Israel began its military invasion in Gaza, at least 42,289 Palestinians have been killed, with an additional 98,684 injured, according to Gaza health officials.
The demonstrators at the NYSE sit-in focused their anger on the US's role in the conflict, particularly its supply of arms to Israel.
"The reason we’re here is to demand that the US government stop sending bombs to Israel and stop profiting off of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza," said Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace.
Protesters also highlighted the profits of US defence contractors during the conflict, accusing these companies of benefiting from the violence.
Although none of the protesters entered the stock exchange, many crossed a police barricade outside the building.
They sat down in defiance, awaiting arrest as a form of civil disobedience. Police arrested 206 individuals, handcuffing and removing them from the site.
A spokesperson for the NYSE declined to comment on the protest.
In Gaza, Israel's siege of the northern region continues, trapping around 400,000 Palestinians.
The blockade has severely limited access to food, water, and medicine, leading to a deepening humanitarian crisis.
The violence has also extended beyond Gaza into Lebanon, where Israeli attacks have targeted Hezbollah freedom fighters.
Recently, on October 14 Israeli attack on the mostly Christian village of Aitou in northern Lebanon killed at least 21 people and injured eight others.
The Israeli strikes have affected UN peacekeepers stationed in southern Lebanon as well.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix confirmed that peacekeepers from the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) were injured in Israeli attacks, but said that the peacekeepers would remain in their positions.
The protest outside the NYSE reflects growing divisions in the US over the country’s support for Israel’s military operations.
While the US government continues to back Israel’s right to defend itself, the high civilian death toll in Gaza has sparked international outrage and calls for a ceasefire.
As the conflict deepens, demonstrations like the one in New York are likely to continue, with activists pushing for immediate US intervention to halt the violence and seek diplomatic solutions.
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