New York – Pro-Palestine protestors clashed with NYPD officers in ugly scenes in New York City as Christmas Day was marred by demonstrations against Israel in several US cities.
The NYPD confirmed to DailyMail.com it has moved to ‘Level Three’ police mobilization to combat the protests. A number of arrests are believed to have been made, however the number could not be confirmed as the situation is ‘ongoing.’
Level three mobilization is the second highest alert level in the NYPD, meaning all special units are called into action and squad cars are sent out from every command center in the city.
Reports indicate several police officers have been injured in the melee, but the extent of their injuries are unclear.
Footage from the streets of Manhattan showed furious protestors facing off with a large police presence, with the crowds heard earlier in the day chanting, ‘Long live the intifada.’
Demonstrators also descended on the homes of Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan as they marked the holiday season with their families inside.
The pro-Palestine protests came as organizers vowed to ‘cancel’ Christmas celebrations while Israel continues its onslaught on Gaza, calling ‘for mobilization not celebration.’
A flyer purporting to be from the organizers in New York called on people to gather outside the Newscorp building – home of Fox News – and to ‘bring your flags, signs, keffiyehs and materials to build a nativity scene.’
Later in the day, a bright red nativity scene emblazoned with ‘no joy in genocide’ was became a central part of the protest as it travelled through Manhattan.
Protestors chanted ‘one wish for Christmas, long live resistance’ and ‘no more money for Israel’s crimes’, while a large police presence lined the streets and stationed outside key landmarks to control the masses.
At one point, the crowd directly targeted the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, at the same time tourists walked along Fifth Avenue.
