Smoke bombs were fired at a pro-Palestine rally in New York on Monday, according to videos and photos on social media. New York-based 1010 WINS reported that the protestors had gathered in hundreds at the city's Union Square on Labor Day.
The report said that the rally was called 'National March on NYC for Gaza,' and it was organised by Within Our Lifetime and Healthcare Workers for Palestine, as per the report. Some social media posts claimed that the protests, which came a day after a rally to mourn the loss of additional Israeli hostages in New York's Central Park, asked participants to "travel by any means necessary."
Here's a video of the rally:
Pro-Palestine protestors have taken 42st in New York.The energy has increased significantly since news of Israel bombing Gaza reached the crowd. pic.twitter.com/K0szcFqLz3
— Kei Pritsker (@KeiPritsker) June 15, 2021
According to some reports, the protestors stopped outside the offices of Meta, the parent company of Instagram, after the Instagram accounts of the two student groups were banned.
Meta had reportedly suspended the Instagram accounts of the Columbia University chapter of the Students for Justice in Palestine and New York University People's Solidarity Coalition.