Video: Pro-Palestinian protesters stopped from Met Gala; burn flag, vandalize memorial

On Monday, May 6, a large group of pro-Palestinian demonstrators took to the streets near the Met Gala in New York City, escalating their protest by vandalizing a World War I memorial in Central Park and burning the American flag at the One Hundred Seventh Infantry Memorial. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the venue for the Met Gala, was the focal point of their demonstration but was made inaccessible to them by the police after they had blocked a group exceeding 1,000 participants.

The annual fashion event, hosted by Vogue since 1948, coincided with the demonstrators gathering to voice their demands for an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The demonstration kicked off around 6 pm ET, aligning with the arrival of celebrities on the red carpet, with videos of the protest quickly circulating on social media.

On the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, users commented on the protest’s proximity to the gala. One user noted the presence of banners reading “By any means necessary” among demonstrators who had pushed past police barricades. Another user highlighted the broader geopolitical context, urging others to remember the attacks on Rafah and the ceasefire developments.

The New York Post reported that the protesters had originated from a “Day of Rage” event organized by the pro-Palestinian group Within Our Lifetime, held at Hunter College starting at 5 pm. After the event, they marched towards the Metropolitan Gala, where they were met by substantial police forces, resulting in numerous arrests.

The group Within Our Lifetime expressed their resolve on X, stating, “DISCLOSE! DIVEST! WE WILL NOT STOP WE WILL NOT REST! From the encampments to the streets NYC stands with Rafah!”