Updated Nov 23, 2023 - Politics & Policy

Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Rebecca Falconer

New York Police Department (NYPD) members intervene and take two pro-Palestinian protesters into custody, who entered the parade, during the traditional Thanksgiving Day parade in New York, United States on November 23, 2023. — New York Police Department officers take into custody two pro-Palestinian protesters who interrupted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Photo: Fatih Aktas/Anadolu via Getty Images

Pro-Palestinian protesters interrupted the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday by blocking the route in New York City, video footage shows.

The big picture: An NYPD spokesperson said several people had been taken into custody after the demonstration on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan saw protesters dressed in white jumpsuits display a banner and chant "liberation for Palestine and planet" as they poured red liquid onto themselves.

A green dinosaur balloon sponsored by the Sinclair Oil Corporation was behind them at the time. The protest forced the parade to temporarily stop, per ABC News.
Only a "handful" of the 30 demonstrators protesting along the route jumped the barricades and ran into the street as the parade took place, per KABC-TV.

What they're saying: The Seven Circles Alliance, a coalition of climate, social justice and political activists, said in a statement they disrupted the parade for 20 minutes "to bring attention to the ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide of Palestinians."

Of note: A member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe of Massachusetts held up the Palestinian flag from a float during the procession in a show of solidarity amid the Israel-Hamas war, NBC News reports.

Flashback... In photos: 2022 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from The Seven Circles Alliance.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

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