During the annual Met Gala in Central Park, a group of approximately 1000 anti-Israel protesters clashed with New York City police as they attempted to disrupt the event. Despite being stopped from reaching the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the fashion show was taking place, the protesters engaged in violent altercations with police at various locations throughout Central Park.
In response to the protests, several arrests were made by NYPD officers. According to a report from The New York Post, protesters vandalized a General William Tecumseh Sherman bronze statue in Grand Army Plaza by painting “Free Gaza” graffiti on its base and attaching a Palestinian flag to its front. Additionally, about two dozen protesters were arrested near Madison Avenue and East 83rd Street while marching from Hunter College towards the Met.
Videos shared on social media captured the protests, with NYPD officers urging protesters to limit their demonstrations to the sidewalk to avoid disrupting vehicular traffic. The protesters identified themselves as part of a “Day of Rage” protest organized by the Palestinian activist group Within Our Lifetime. They chanted slogans such as “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest” as they clashed with police in Central Park.