Nearly 200 demonstrators marched and shouted their way through Times Square Thursday night in a last-minute “emergency rally” called to condemn the US bombing of Houthi-linked sites in Yemen.
A combination of organizations took to the streets to speak out against the bombings in Yemen while also slamming Israel for its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7 terror attack by Hamas.
Chants of “hands off the Middle East” and “hands off Gaza” boomed through midtown Manhattan as demonstrators unfurled a banner that stated “Stop the US bombing in Yemen” and waved “Free Palestine” and “End all US aid to Israel” flags.
Police said they took one person into custody during the protest, though the arrestee did not appear to be someone with the pro-Yemen and pro-Palestinian groups.
The man repeatedly chanted “Israel” while refusing to comply with officers attempting to cuff him as they held him face down on the ground, according to footage captured at the scene by The Post.
The NYPD did not have further information about the incident late Thursday night.
An organizer for one of the groups protesting, Manolo De Los Santos, of the People’s Forum, said in a text early Friday that the person arrested was not part of the four organizations that took part in the rally.
A coinciding protest was also held in Washington, DC near the White House Thursday night.
The US and Britain launched retaliatory strikes against Houthi militants days after the Iran-backed rebels carried out their “largest attack” to date on shipping vessels in the Red Sea that have endangered US personnel, civilians and American partners, President Biden said.
It’s the first US strike against the Houthis in Yemen since 2016.
The Houthis claim their attacks and hijacking of cargo ships are in support of Hamas following the outbreak of war in Gaza.
One of the groups out protesting in Times Square called the strikes “a dangerous escalation” that could lead to further war in the Middle East, according to a press release detailing the rally.
Since the Israel-Hamas war broke out last year, the Big Apple has seen dozens of protests against the Jewish state and the US — some of which have blocked traffic and disrupted major transit hubs.
Additional reporting by Steven Vago.
With Post wires.
