Maria Casparni
NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York City police said on Saturday they had detained more than two dozen people in connection with a pro-Palestinian protest at the Brooklyn Museum on Friday.
An NYPD spokesman said in an emailed statement that six of the 29 people were arrested and charged with assault and criminal trespassing, 16 were released and ordered to appear in court, and seven others were ordered to appear in court. Released after summons.
Pro-Palestinian protesters occupied part of New York City’s Brooklyn Museum of Art on Friday, hanging banners above the main entrance, occupying much of the lobby and scuffling with police, witnesses said.
The museum said it was closing an hour early due to unrest, including skirmishes between police and protesters inside and outside the building.
“Existing and newly installed art in our plaza was damaged,” a museum spokesperson said in an email. “Protesters entered the building and our public safety personnel were physically and verbally harassed.
Hundreds of demonstrators were marching in Brooklyn, with some storming the entrance, according to Reuters witnesses. Security prevented many people from entering, but some managed to get inside.
A banner reading “Free Palestine, free from genocide” hangs above the neoclassical facade.
A pro-Palestinian group called “In Our Lives” urged demonstrators to “flood the Brooklyn Museum in exchange for Gaza.” Activists allegedly occupied the museum and forced it to disclose any Israel-related investments and withdraw any such funds.
Demonstrations in the United States against Israel’s Gaza war continue, mostly on college campuses.
Hundreds of students and faculty walked out of the University of Chicago’s commencement ceremony on Saturday, the Chicago Tribune reported.
