Yesterday (June 30), the New York Police Department (NYPD) detained 10 people protesting for Palestine during the New York City Pride Parade and briefly stopped the march just a block from the Stonewall Inn.
The historic parade commemorates the 55th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, which was a protest against a police raid on the gay bar of the same name. This year’s event was no exception, with many participants seizing the opportunity to focus on issues such as abortion rights, protections for members of the transgender community, and fair contracts for union workers. But overall, Israel’s ongoing attacks on Gaza seemed to be one of the top concerns for marchers and spectators. LGBTQ+ SWANA organization Tarab NYC presented a “Free Palestine” float, and many individuals, including Miss Major and Raquel Willis, grand marshals of the 2024 Pride Parade, showed their support for Palestine with flags, homemade signs, watermelon souvenirs, and headscarves as they made their way from 25th Street through the West Village.
The protests against Gaza that broke out in the second half of the march highlighted the urgency of a ceasefire in Gaza.
Around 2:30 p.m., 11 activists from the Fruit for Palestine Liberation Coalition (CFF), part of Writers Against the Gaza War, broke through a Christopher Street barricade and sprayed red paint on the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Pride parade float and accompanying pickup truck. They then held up banners that read “No gay liberation without Palestinian liberation” and “Palestine will be free.”
The demonstration, which lasted about half an hour, followed a rally held by HRC in February, at which activists asked the nonprofit to call for a ceasefire in Gaza and protested its financial relationship with weapons maker Northrop Grumman, which is listed as a “Platinum Partner” on HRC’s website.
The group also distributed yellow leaflets criticizing “whitewash Zionists” and “rainbow capitalism.”
“We stand with the assholes and fight for the demise of the empire. Assholes burn ‘American’ and ‘Israeli’ flags,” the flyers read. The pamphlets also mention figures such as Argentinian transgender activist Cecilia Gentili, who died young in February and was recently memorialized alongside those killed in Gaza at an ACT UP event at Fire Island’s Trailblazers Park, and Aaron Bushnell, a U.S. Air Force service member who set himself on fire in February to protest U.S. support for Israel’s attack on Gaza.
“We stand in solidarity with every Palestinian, including the most ordinary and imperfect, lest some of us forget that none of them deserve this and that their deaths should shame us and compel us to act,” the article concluded.
While many spectators joined activists in chanting “Free Palestine” to show support for the protest, some onlookers criticized the action. Ben Siggers, a spectator from Baltimore who was standing in the same neighborhood when the protest began, told Allergic He disagreed with “hijacking someone else’s float.” Ayesha and Ismail Mohammed, a couple from New Jersey, had similar feelings about the parade being interrupted, saying they agreed with the purpose of the protest but felt it was held at the “wrong time.” One of the strongest objections to the demonstration came from parade volunteer worker and transgender rights advocate TS Candii, who was witnessed and recorded Allergic During the action, they shouted “F**K Palestine” in the middle of Christopher Street.
“We support Palestinian freedom. We stand with them, but we support peaceful protests,” Kandy said in follow-up comments Allergiccriticizing the action for “disrupting order and deliberately obstructing traffic.”
Five minutes later, protesters refused As march organizers called for the march to continue, police detained 10 protesters and bystanders shouted “Shame on you!” An NYPD representative later told Allergic Seven of the activists received court summonses on charges of disorderly conduct, while three were arrested on charges of obstructing government administration and criminal damage.
Two protesters arrested, writer and musician H. Sinno and novelist Kathleen Alcott, told Allergic They were held overnight in Manhattan’s Central Booking Center in “appalling and inhumane conditions” and described experiencing rodent infestations, verbal abuse and threats of violence, physical attacks, constant sexism and sexually explicit comments about their bodies.
When the parade resumed around 3 p.m., many spectators who had witnessed the protests and arrests loudly jeering at the HRC float.
“Pride is protest, and we welcome all voices at today’s march. We respect the protesters’ right to demonstrate while ensuring the parade is safe and smooth for all participants,” said New York Pride organizers, who are responsible for organizing the parade. Allergic in a statement. HRC has not yet responded Allergicmedia inquiries.
Yesterday’s march ended early around 4pm due to “inclement weather” following a banner demonstration for Gaza at the AIDS Memorial in New York City early Friday morning. The event, organized by ACT UP and Jewish Voice for Peace to welcome President Joe Biden’s visit to the newly opened Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center, included the display of two banners and dozens of wheat posters calling on Biden to halt weapons shipments to Israel amid its ongoing assault on Gaza.
Editor’s Note 7/2/24 10:30 AM EST: This article has been updated by two Protesters WHO yes Arrested.
