NEW YORK — Protesters shouted for the release of hostages in Gaza on Sunday at a New York parade honoring Israel that drew thousands of people under tight security.
The parade began nearly eight months after the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas, the deadliest in the history of Israel. The annual parade in the past was dubbed “Celebrate Israel,” but organizers said the exuberant atmosphere would be tempered this year due to the war and hostages still held captive in Gaza, as well as outbreaks of anti-Semitism around the world.
People shouted “Bring them home now!” and waved Israeli flags as they marched down Fifth Avenue in Manhattan for what this year is being called “Israel Day on Fifth Avenue.” Crowds of spectators and hundreds of police lined the route, and steel barricades were installed along the sidewalk. A sign read: “From the river to the sea, Hamas will cease to exist.”
“Especially this year, after October 7th, it’s especially important to have this show of unity,” said Rena Orman, a Bronx native who participated as part of Mothers Against College Antisemitism. “Everyone wants hostages back. Everyone wants this to end. Nobody is rooting for this. Everyone wants peace.”
Mark Treyger, CEO of the Jewish Community Relations Council, said earlier this week that the event would focus on solidarity, strength and resilience.
“This is not a confetti and music atmosphere,” Treyger said. “This is yet another climate of unwavering and iron solidarity with the hostages to bring them home, and also our unwavering love and pride for our Jewish identity.”
The parade, which is in its 59th year, kicked off on Sunday night with the presence of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams among elected officials. Spectators came from all over the New York City region.
“I think it’s important – especially with what’s happening in the Middle East, in Israel with the ongoing war – to show our support and show that the hostages have not been forgotten and that the country itself has not been forgotten,” said Michael Garber . from neighboring New Jersey.
There was never any thought of canceling the parade this year, Treyger said, despite what he called an astronomical rise in anti-Semitism.
“This is a moment we have to meet,” he said.
But there was significant security.
New York Police Department officials employed measures typically used for high-profile events such as New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July. This included drones, K-9 units, bicycle patrols, fences and barriers, and designated entry points for spectators along the entire parade route. Backpacks, large bags and coolers were banned, and spectators had to pass through metal detectors.
City officials emphasized Friday that there have been no specific or credible threats to the parade or the city, and any protester has the right to demonstrate as long as it is done peacefully.
“We will not allow any lawlessness or disruption of any celebration of anyone’s heritage in this city,” Adams said at a safety meeting.
The parade represents the first large-scale Jewish event in the city since the start of the war, although there have been about 2,800 protests in the city, with about 1,300 of them related to the conflict, the Democrat said.
Israel faces growth international criticism about its offensive in Gaza, in a huge cost in civilian lives. Israeli bombings and ground offensives in the besieged territory killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Ministry of Healthwhich makes no distinction between combatants and civilians.
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