Demonstration outside Nova Music Festival event in NY is 'deeply concerning,' states exhibit representative.
"It was rather surreal that this protest happened outside an event honouring hundreds of individuals who lost their lives," said Michelle Rojas, the spokesperson, to CNN on Monday.
The event is a tribute to the victims of the October 7 attacks by Hamas, who were there for an Israeli music festival.
New York City's mayor, Eric Adams, labelled the protest as "plain and simple anti-Semitism."
"For anyone in New York who champions peace, they simply can't stand beside those waving Hamas and Hezbollah flags, particularly at a show paying tribute to the casualties of the Nova Music Festival tragedy," he stated in a X post.
260 people perished during the attack on the festival, as per the Israeli rescue service Zaka. Some attendees were abducted, as seen in social media videos where they were being seized by their armed kidnappers. This outdoor event was slated to be an all-night dance festivity, commemorating the Jewish holiday of Sukkot.
Israel instigated continuous attacks in Gaza after the Hamas attacks in October killed 1,200 people. Over 37,000 Palestinians have been reported dead in Gaza since Israel's war on Hamas began in October, according to figures from the enclave's health ministry.
Numerous protesters were apprehended, and 23 were let go with court summons, according to the New York City Police Department. The number of protesters arrested isn't certain.
"Our responsibility as NYPD is to manage thousands of peaceful protests, but we must arrest each and every lawbreaker," Adams declared. "New Yorkers will always feel protected here."
The White House criticized the protest outside the New York exhibition, terming it "staggering and heartbreaking."
"The events at yesterday's memorial to those killed at the Nova music festival are despicable and heartbreaking," declared White House spokesperson Andrew Bates. "Flags with symbols of terrorist groups should never be raised, let alone on American streets. Antisemitism has no place in the United States. This loathsome conduct is further proof that 'Americans need to unite against antisemitism and hate in all its forms,' as President Biden demanded at the Holocaust Memorial Museum last month."
The exhibition has been extended until June 22, Rojas explained, so more people can visit and show their support.
"It's imperative that people perceive how wide-ranging the repercussions were – in Israel and beyond," Rojas stressed. "Many countries, many communities were affected by what happened at a music festival."
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Despite the ongoing tensions, the United States expressed its solidarity with New York City and its stance against antisemitism.
In light of these events, it's crucial for us to stand united against any form of hate, emphasizing that "Americans need to unite against antisemitism and hate in all its forms," as President Biden stated.
