The city is bracing for widespread anti-Israel protests planned for the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
Protests are already expected on Saturday, in the lead up to the anniversary of the devastating terror attack, with events organized for Times Square, outside Google’s Manhattan headquarters and at Court Square Park in Queens.
Many anti-Israel groups are planning demonstrations for Monday, in particular, the National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP), which is orchestrating a nationwide “Week of Rage” on college campuses beginning on Oct. 7.
Meanwhile, one of the most outspoken anti-Israel organizations “Within Our Lifetime” (WOL) called on protestors to “flood New York City for Palestine” to mark the anniversary of the assault that killed around 1,200 people in Israel.
Just last week, WOL’s followers amassed in the hundreds for a demonstration outside the Loews Regency New York Hotel where Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was staying before addressing the United Nations the following morning.
“On Monday October 7th Flood New York City For Palestine, stand with Gaza and uplift the Palestinian people resisting genocide by any means necessary since 1948,” the group wrote in a post to X.
“Call out of work and school, take to the streets and join us throughout the day.”
WOL has asked those attending to “confront the forces of imperialism and zionism and let the world know that NYC stands with [Palestinians] heroic struggle in the face of annihilation.”
The protests are expected to be spread out across the city from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. including at Wall Street, City Hall, Washington Square Park, Union Square, Grand Central, Times Square and Columbus Circle.
Law-enforcement sources said cops would be out in full force, including working extra shifts and on their days off, and that some colleges would be doubling up their own security.
The anniversary is likely to exacerbate already inflamed tensions on campuses – further heightened by Iran’s unprecedented missile attack against the Jewish State.
Some New York University students on Friday admitted to The Post that while they don’t know a lot about the issue and don’t have significant ties to the region, they’d be showing up to “experience [the protests] for themselves.”
“I’ll be there. I don’t have family in Gaza and that’s not my family culture but I have friends that have been affected by the war,” one student said.
“I don’t feel educated enough to know exactly who’s right and wrong in this but if they are fighting for anyone’s freedoms then they are protesting for the right reasons, in my opinion,” said another.
One foreign exchange student at the elite university added that “America is sick right now” and should have a united front.
The NYPD said earlier this week that it was beefing up security at synagogues and mosques ahead of Rosh Hashanah — a two day long holiday marking the Jewish new year that began on Wednesday night.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the extra precautions at a press briefing earlier that day, which the city referred back to when asked about the upcoming protests.
“While we acknowledge that the city will respect and protect people’s right to peacefully protest, there will be a zero tolerance for those who violate the law, impede traffic and damage property while doing so,” Adams said.
Hizzoner said people threatened at their places of work, worships or any place will not be tolerated and stressed that the NYPD is working with law enforcement partners at the city, state and federal levels.
Sensitive locations will have additional cameras to complement the 80,000 cameras in the NYPD Domain Awareness system, officials said.
“There will be many protections that you will see, and there will be many that you will not see. We will have an omnipresence and a real, visible presence of uniform personnel,” Adams added.
— Additional reporting by Larry Celona and Joe Marino
