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Statue of Liberty swarmed by protesters urging Israel-Hamas cease-fire
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Nov 6, 2023
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Courtesy Jewish Voice for Peace
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Nov 6, 2023
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The Statue of Liberty was briefly closed to visitors Monday as hundreds of protesters landed on Liberty Island to call for a cease-fire in the Israel-Hamas war.
The demonstration lasted about an hour before guards on the island — which is under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Service — directed the group to return to Manhattan.
The protest was organized by the group Jewish Voice for Peace, which also organized demonstrations last month at the U.S. Capitol and later at Grand Central Terminal. The protest at Grand Central prompted authorities to shut down the train station during rush hour.
Jay Saper, who helped organize Monday’s demonstration, said no one was arrested during the protest, though some people received citations.
“We are seeing that people are wanting to do everything that they can to take new risks, to take action and make it clear that we have to do everything we can to help build the international outcry to stop the bombing of Gaza,” Saper said.
Protesters continued to chant and hang banners from the side of a ferry boat as they departed Liberty Island.
Giulia Heyward
According to the Hamas-run Ministry of Health in Gaza, about 10,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. And the United Nations reports more than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed since Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, prompting a massive counteroffensive into Palestinian territories.
The demonstrators departed on a ferry back to Manhattan shortly after 1 p.m., and draped their banners along the side of the boat as it took off.
Representatives with the Statue of Liberty National Monument did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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new york city
public safety
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Giulia Heyward
Giulia Heyward is a breaking news reporter on the Day-Of desk. She previously worked at NPR, as a breaking news reporter, and the New York Times, as a reporting fellow on the national desk. Her work has also appeared in CNN, The Atlantic and Politico. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or more securely on signal at 917-715-1458.
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