At least 7,000 pro-Palestinian protesters shut down the Brooklyn Bridge during a march through the borough Saturday, openly cheering Hamas terrorists’ barbaric attacks on Israel — and justifying the murders of innocent mothers and babies.
“Freedom by any means, land back by any means,” declared Dorian, a 24-year-old protester from Queens, during the three-mile Flood Brooklyn for Gaza march, which began at 3 p.m. in front of the Brooklyn Museum in Crown Heights, not far from the Hasidic Lubavitcher headquarters on Eastern Parkway, where a Sabbath festival was being held.
“I believe the settler state of Israel must be taken down,” he said.
The demonstrators — holding signs with antisemitic slogans such as “From the River to the Sea, Palestine Will be Free,” and “F—k Israel, Justice Palestine” — headed north along Flatbush Avenue to the Barclays Center, and then converged on the Brooklyn Bridge, stopping traffic on the Manhattan-bound side around 6 p.m. as some scaled metal barriers and triumphantly waved Palestinian flags.
Cops shut down traffic on the Brooklyn-bound side as a precautionary measure.
Earlier, Marie Edward, 67, of Sunset Park, held a sign reading “Zionism is terrorism” while watching others march along Eastern Parkway.
She accused Israelis of being the real “killers” and defended Hamas’ heinous Oct. 7 massacre.
“It’s not a question of ‘justified.’ If you are occupied, you fight back and do what they did…they will fight back,” she said.
Jason B., a Puerto Rico native living in the Big Apple, reiterated Edward’s sentiment, saying Israel was using the hostages as an excuse to wipe out the Palestinian people in Gaza.
“I’m in support of the solidarity of the Palestinian people because the genocide of now, I mean, there’s been so many times I can push you before you push back right?” said Jason, who was decked out in Palestinian accessories.
He chastised Israel for targeting civilians in its war against Hamas and asserted that Israel is committing the humanitarian atrocities it has accused the terrorist group of carrying out.
On the beheading of Israeli babies and children, Jason said: “Where’s the proof? Yeah, that’s the narrative that they put so they can put a bad name on the Palestinians.”
Two 24-year-old women from Crown Heights marched while holding signs depicting Israeli flags inside of hearts while claiming they support the movement to defund Israel and for the US to shred its alliance with the Middle Eastern country,
“I don’t think anyone could expect Palestinians to peacefully try to reclaim their freedom. I don’t think it’s very idealist and unrealistic…what do you expect? They have no way other way of freeing themselves,” said one of the women, who asked to remain anonymous.
One of the protesters was just 15 years old and bore a sign reading, “F–k Israel all my homies hate Israel” — a mockery of the Middle Eastern country made in the format of an internet meme.
Supporters lined up along the road and passed out water to the marching demonstrators, who worked their way across the borough in 80-degree heat.
Those who dared defend Israel were vilified.
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
One counter-protester carrying an American and Israeli flag shouted, “I stand with life, peace and love.” He was then called a terrorist” by marchers, some of whom even slapped stickers reading “Zionism is terrorism” on his back as he yelled, “Get the F—out of here!”
One Jewish man shouted as the group marched past him, but was swiftly shut down by ralliers who lobbed profanities at him.
A flier posted to Instagram touting the protest by organizer Within Our Lifetimes warned, “The more they try and silence us, the louder we will be.”
The NYPD swarmed the route with roughly 1,800 officers and were using drones for crowd control. Two NYPD helicopters also buzzed along the Brooklyn Bridge.
The NYPD ordered extra officers to report to the swelling crowd on their day off, police sources said.
The rambunctious protesters took out their ire on the patrol cars, leaving some of the vehicles damaged and at least two graffitied as they marched toward Lower Manhattan.
The protesters also mocked the cops, drawing “F—k NYPD” on the dusty windows of parked buses.
At least one person was charged during the riot, according to police sources.
Joshua van Biema, 26, was arrested near the Brooklyn Museum just before 5 p.m. after he was caught vandalizing a car.
He was charged with auto stripping, criminal, mischief and possession of a graffiti instrument.
Before the rally, former City Councilman David Greenfield, a Brooklyn Democrat who now heads the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, lashed out at the protests’ sponsors for choosing to hold an anti-Israel protest on Shabbat in Crown Heights, which has a sizable population of Hasidic Jews.
“It’s not an accident that pro-Hamas activists would pick this place to protest Jews,” he said.
Orthodox Rabbi Motti Seligson, 41, of Crown Heights, noted the march was scheduled the same weekend as an annual gathering where more than 1,000 Hasidic college students from around the world flock to the neighborhood.
“We’re seeing forces of evil that are promoting murder genocide of Israelis and civilians in Gaza because of the support for the terrorist elements that are in their midst,” he said.
The swarm stopped traffic for several minutes after tricking through the intersection of Canal and Worth Streets.
While many moved through the major thoroughfare and continued on their route, several surrounded the cars and immobilized them.
“This is a protest, free Palestine!” one of the demonstrators shouted.
Another shouted “C’mon y’all, let’s go, we’re holding traffic here” before a sea of marchers began running through the streets, some banging drums as others cheered.
Others held up traffic using their bikes and a red banner reading “Muslim Jewish Antifascist Front” as shields.
“We got more people, y’all going to wait for Palestine. Y’all be alright,” one demonstrator clad in all black shouted into a megaphone while standing in front of a honking GMC truck.
“If anything, bust a f—ing u-turn,” he sneered.
Some ralliers were blatantly heard screaming, “Long Live Hamas as they paraded past the corner of 4th Avenue and East 13th Street.
The massive protest split into three distinct groups, with the largest sector funneling into Union Square.
Demonstrators chanted “free Palestine” as they mounted the iconic George Washington statue and plastered it with stickers that read “Zionists are terrorists.”
A Muslim woman from Palestine stood on the edges of the statue with a microphone and threatened “Until it’s free, we will not stop.”
A makeshift basketball hoop was erected on the pavement out of Banksy’s iconic poster of a young girl releasing a heart balloon and multiple alternate side parking signs.
The amateur display read: “F–K ISRAEL. That’s what New Yorkers are saying.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters spray-painted and plastered stickers across a Union Square Starbucks Saturday as thousands of demonstrators charged the area.
The vandals — wearing masks and head coverings — etched “Free Gaza” across the East 15th Street restaurant as customers dined inside, video shows.
The ralliers also slammed stickers reading “Zionism is terrorism” and “Zionism: hands off our universities” on the coffee shop’s glass.
One of the vandals lifted the other up so he could post an “End the lies or Gaza dies” sticker on the glass panel just below the glowing Starbucks sign — ensuring a clean-up crew would need a ladder to remove it.
The protest took place a week after roughly 5,000 pro-Palestine protesters took to the streets during a raucous rally in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn where demonstrators called for the eradication of Israel and held antisemitic signs — including one with a picture of the Israeli flag in a trash basket that read “Please keep the world clean!” Many clashed with cops and 19 were arrested.
A day earlier, Brooklyn state Sen. Jabari Brisport and City Council Member Shahana Hanif were among the 100 anti-Israel protesters busted by the NYPD at a pro-Palestinian rally in Midtown.
Participants of the “Cease Fire Now Rally for Gaza” stormed Bryant Park and blocked traffic.
Additional reporting by Tina Moore
