Protesters gathered outside the Trump International Hotel in New York on Monday to protest Israeli hunger policy in Gaza.
The protest, organized by the Jewish-American anti-fortune-telling group Ifnotnow, drew hundreds of people into the Columbus Circle under the banner “Trump: Jews won’t say any more” to end the war in Gaza and seek greater access for much-needed humanitarian aid.
The protesters also hold signs that read: “Stop the cleansing of the people,” “Never again now,” “Stop the hungry Gaza,” and “Not our name,” the Guardian reported.
“Instead of words, the Israeli government’s blockade of Gaza is a policy of ethnic cleansing through forced mass starvation,” Morriah Kaplan, interim executive director of Ifnotnow, said in a speech.
She added that the US government “needs to use considerable leverage to end these fears.”
The New York Police Department stepped in in the protest and arrested more than 40 people, Anadolu reported.
Israeli forces have rejected international calls for a ceasefire and have pursued brutal attacks in Gaza since October 7, 2023, killing more than 61,000 Palestinians. The military campaign destroyed the enclave, bringing it to the verge of hunger.