The NYPD took no chances with Sunday’s Israel Day Parade in Midtown Manhattan, ordering cops to arrest any protesters without hesitation if they cross the police perimeter.
An internal police memo obtained by The Post shows that New York’s Finest were told to bust any intruders on the parade route for trespassing but being careful not to violate protesters’ free speech.
“Any spectator who attempts to enter the frozen zone between the barriers or who attempts to go on to the parade route must be immediately arrested for trespass,” the memo said.
A NYPD officer looks on as people take part in the Israel Day on Fifth Parade in Manhattan on June 2, 2024. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
A NYPD officer stands guard near the parade route. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
NYPD cops with a police dog go on patrol near the Israel Day parade. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly“There will be no warnings and officers should not wait for the Legal Bureau personnel to arrive.”
Still, it added, “The extent a spectator is conveying a message that is offensive to participants in the parade or to other spectators, this is protected speech and MAY NOT be the basis for enforcement.”
The parade is a traditional annual celebration of the Jewish state.
Sunday’s event was marred by one confrontation on Fifth Avenue between pro-Israel supporters and a group of anti-Israeli protesters, including a masked man holding up a sign reading, “Kill Hostages Now.”
The pro-Israeli faction chanted, “Bring them home now!” as police moved in and separated the two sides.
The parade was officially over by mid-afternoon, and the NYPD reported no arrests by that time.
The march occurred in a climate of heavy tension in the Big Apple, where antisemitic attacks and anti-Israel protests have been rampant since the Oct. 7 sneak attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists.
The deadly assault promoted an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that has left thousands of Palestinians dead and even more homeless and starving, according to the UN — prompting the protests.
People wave Israeli flags as they march on Fifth Avenue. Photo by JOHN LAMPARSKI/AFP via Getty Images
A banner calling for Israeli hostages to be released by Hamas is carried along the parade route. Photo by JOHN LAMPARSKI/AFP via Getty ImagesThe protests have taken root in college campuses across the US, including anti-Israeli encampments at Ivy League schools such as Columbia University and other schools in the five boroughs.
Taking no chances Sunday, the NYPD briefed its rank-and-file on ramped-up security measures for the parade.
Metal detectors were to screen people attending the event — with backpacks, umbrellas, folding lawn chairs, blankets, coolers and drones all banned from the route, the internal memo said.
The department also prohibited banners or large flags, with a caveat.
The NYPD was out in force for Sunday’s Israel Day Parade, with cops ordered to arrest criminal disruptors without hesitation. G.N.Miller/NYPost
Protesters were warned not to cross into the barricaded “frozen zone.” G.N.Miller/NYPost
This year, the parade occurred during heavy tensions in New York City over the Israel-Hamas war. G.N.Miller/NYPost“With respect to banner or large flag, the only question is whether it will obstruct the view of others,” the memo cautioned. “The message of the banner or the meaning of the flag is irrelevant.”
Palestinian flags have been a common sight at anti-Israeli protests and encampments, while the Hamas terror flag has been spotted at several of the demonstrations, too.
