Police arrest 34 people at Brooklyn Museum after protesters occupy building

The New York Police Department said Saturday it had arrested 34 people after responding to a pro-Palestine protest in Brooklyn, New York, that led to reports of damaged artwork and harassment of employees at the Brooklyn Museum.

Within Our Lifetime, a Palestinian-led community organization based in New York, called for the protest on Friday to “vacate” the museum until the institution discloses and divests itself of any investments linked to Israel’s military assault on the Strip. Gaza, which lasted for months.

The protest began at the Barclays Center at 3pm on Friday and reached the Brooklyn Museum around 4:30pm. Protesters occupied the public square in front of the museum, as well as entering the building.

Individuals blocked entrances and displayed banners both inside and on the museum’s facade, according to museum spokesperson Taylor Maatman.

“Unfortunately, there was damage to existing and recently installed artwork in our plaza, and some members of our public safety personnel were physically and verbally assaulted and harassed,” Maatman said.

Videos shared and reviewed by NBC News showed police trying to protect the museum from the crowd.

Within Our Lifetime posted on social media that its president, Nerdeen Kiswani, was “targeted and violently arrested” and claimed that the police stole her hijab.

The museum closed an hour early due to concerns about the building, collections and staff, Maatman said.

The protest is the latest in a series of pro-Palestinian actions that have taken place in New York and across the country in recent months, including actions led by students at Columbia University, New York University and other colleges.

At least 80 people were arrested on Friday at the University of California, Santa Cruz, after the university requested assistance in clearing a pro-Palestinian camp, said Abby Butler, director of strategic communications and media relations.

Protests on U.S. college campuses alone have led to more than 3,000 arrests, according to an NBC News tally.

Chancellor Cynthia Larive addressed the student body in a letter Friday, saying the university tried to avoid law enforcement involvement but that the disruptions experienced during the camp were “harmful” to others in the community.

“I believe that many of those who have been involved in these protests over these weeks are well-intentioned and trying to make changes through their spheres of influence,” Larive wrote. “This decision was not made because individuals spoke out; it was because they chose to do so through illegal actions.”

She added that student demands that the university divest from and boycott companies affiliated with Israel were already “considered unacceptable” by the University of California Office of the President.