Anti-Israel protests shut down New York City's Grand Central Station on Monday, according to demonstration organizer Within Our Lifetime.
‼️‼️Betar warns Jews to avoid NYC at this time. Grand central terminal is under attack and blocked by masked terrorists with weapons !‼️‼️‼️
— Betar Worldwide (@Betar_USA) April 7, 2025
Betar warned all Jews in the area to avoid Grand Central Station in a post on X/Twitter. The account added that the protesters were masked and armed.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
Activists wearing keffiyehs entered the American landmark waving Palestinian flags and banging drums in response to a global strike called for by Palestinians over the ongoing war in Gaza, WOL leader Nerdeen Kiswani explained in a social media post.
BREAKING: Terror supporters have violently taken over Grand Central Station in NYC, completely halting all trains.How much longer will we tolerate these extremists? Who is paying them? pic.twitter.com/O5SvpR8HYl
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) April 8, 2025
Kiswani said that the New York Police Department had shut down the entrances to the station because the authorities didn't want people to hear their message.BREAKING: New Yorkers are now trapped in Grand Central Station after terror supporters shut it down.It’s a Monday night and people cannot get back home because of these extremists. This is not normal—enough is enough. pic.twitter.com/ZhO6kp8Do5
— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) April 8, 2025
She mentioned elsewhere that law enforcement had attempted to block them from entering the station but failed. The WOL X account, however, also bragged that "Pro-Palestine protesters shut down entrances to Grand Central."
"We just wanted to platform our message to one of the largest transportation hubs in the world," Kiswani said on X.
Activists chanted to "shut it down" in a video published by Kiswani. One protester held a placard calling to "abolish" Israel.
Protests escalate outside key locations
Protesters also rallied outside the Egyptian Consulate and the United Nations building, calling on Arab leaders to take action against Israeli military operations in Gaza.
"Arab leaders make it right, join the people, join the fight!" chanted protesters as they marched past the Egyptian mission, according to a WOL video.
NYC: GLOBAL STRIKE FOR GAZA OUTSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS. 43RD ST & 1ST AVE. JOIN US. pic.twitter.com/hGqprxrbNN
— Within Our Lifetime (@WOLPalestine) April 7, 2025
In another WOL video, in front of the UN building, leaders led the crowd in a chant proclaiming, "From the river to the sea, Palestine is almost free." The video was captioned with a call to "globalize the intifada" from New York to Gaza, a sentiment echoed on banners held by some protesters.
Kiswani said on X that the NYPD had threatened the group with arrest if they demonstrated at the Israeli consulate.
Activists also marched in Times Square, according to WOL, chanting "while you're shopping, bombs are dropping."
One protester could be seen in videos with a Hamas bandana, and at least one other was wearing a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine bandana. Both organizations are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the US State Department.
Kiswani claimed that heavy objects were thrown at the protesters from the windows of the buildings above them. This reportedly included garbage water and a bag of feces.
The WOL leader emphasized that the projectiles could have killed someone and smashed a car windshield. She claimed that she was assaulted by police when she attempted to report the matter.
"This is what being Palestinian or even supporting Palestine looks like in New York: Zionists can commit acts of violence with impunity," said Kiswani. "Palestinians and our allies can’t even gather without facing repression.'
Grand Central Station has been repeatedly targeted as a site for anti-Israel protests since the October 7 Massacre.
The same month as the Hamas-led pogrom in southern Israel, Jewish Voice for Peace protests in the station led to a closure.