A seething mob of anti-Israel protesters busted inside the Brooklyn Museum Friday, where they set up an encampment, defaced artwork and draped a banner from the side of the building declaring the war in Gaza “genocide.”
The intruders — who were the vanguard of a massive demonstration nearly 1,000 people strong — scaled the building and rappelled down inside of the art museum with climbing equipment, police sources said.
New York City police officers detain an anti-Israel protester. AP
NYPD cops grapple with several protesters outside the Brooklyn Museum. AP
Hundreds of others surrounded the museum and some protesters got into scuffles with security guards, according to a museum spokesperson.
“Our public safety staff were physically and verbally harassed,” said the spokesperson, who noted that artwork on the plaza was also damaged.
The yellow “OY/YO” sculpture was left covered in graffiti reading “Free Palestine” and “Free Gaza,” among other things.
A number of protesters on the roof draped a giant banner reading “Free Palestine Divest From Genocide” over the front of the building, footage posted on social media shows.
Roughly 800 people gathered outside of the museum, located adjacent to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.
Video shows the mob of protesters hopping over metal fence barriers and entering the museum as they chanted “Free free Palestine” and waved Palestinian flags. Some clashed with NYPD officers deployed outside.
Some protesters were seen throwing items from the roof of the museum, sources said. Robert Mecea for NY PostScores of demonstrators holding banners and signs were filmed by an independent journalist inside of the museum lobby chanting “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.”
Police cleared out the building and handcuffed several protesters as others locked outside of the museum pounded on the doors, according to video posted to social media.
Cops were also spotted on the roof of the building.
Due to the chaos, the museum closed an hour early “out of a concern for the building, our collections, and our staff,” the spokesperson said.
A bloodied anti-Israel protester is detained. REUTERS
An unknown number of protesters were arrested, police sources said. APOne of the hundreds of protesters occupying the museum’s front steps hurled slurs at NYPD officers monitoring the situation.
Other troublemakers taunted the cops and yelled “shame on you, pigs.”
“NYPD, KKK. IOF they’re all the same” protesters shamelessly chanted.
Hundreds of anti-Israel protesters gathered at the Brooklyn Museum. Robert Mecea for NY PostOutside the museum, a shirtless demonstrator was pinned on his stomach and handcuffed by police who formed a circle around him and pushed other protesters back.
The demonstration appears to have been organized by the anti-Israel Group “Within Our Lifetime,” which called on their supporters to “flood the Brooklyn Museum for Gaza” on Friday.
“Activists are de-occupying the museum until they disclose and divest from the US-israeli genocide,” an online flier for the protest states.
Friday night’s antics came shortly after hundreds of New York public school students held a city-wide walkout and demonstration at the Department of Education headquarters in Lower Manhattan.
Schools Chancellor David Banks warned students not to leave class to demonstrate, but did not specify what punishment they would face if they did not comply.
