Met Gala Showdown: NYC Pro-Palestine Protesters Take Stand Against Israeli Aggression, Prompting Arrests at Fashion’s Biggest Night
While celebrities stole the spotlight at the Met Gala inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday, outside, the streets buzzed with another scene.
Thousands of demonstrators advocating for Palestine came together and marched through Manhattan, shouting loudly against what Israel is doing in Gaza. They started at Hunter College and headed towards the big fashion event.
Organizers on X (formerly Twitter) posted a flier for an event called the "Citywide Day of Rage for Gaza."
Some participants held cardboard signs with messages like "No Met Gala While Bombs Drop in Gaza" and "No Celebration Without Liberation." Down Fifth Avenue, a larger group waved Palestinian flags, chanting "Gaza! Gaza!"
Despite efforts by the New York Police Department to manage the situation, tensions heightened as arrests occurred nearby. It remained uncertain how many arrests were made as celebrities walked the carpet and posed for photos. However, some journalists at the scene confirmed several arrests, while the New York Daily News reported the number to be around a dozen, out of the hundreds gathered near the event.
“The protesters don’t have 10m followers on Twitter and 50m on Instagram and teams of assistants following them around that have been preparing for this for the past year,” she said. “The city makes millions from the publicity of the gala, the hotels are full. It puts New York on the map. This is the Academy Awards but bigger,” Nesis said.
The Met Gala, an annual event that draws celebrities, fashion designers and significant media coverage, serves as a massive fundraiser for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Sara Vaquero, a visitor from Spain, remarked that the Met Gala, which raised $22 million last year through ticket fees from brands and sponsors, has now become popular worldwide.
The protest appeared to have no connection to the demonstrations that have been occurring on various college campuses, specifically Columbia, resulting in the university calling the police to remove student protesters.
Against the backdrop of broader student-led movements, several universities have become centers for activism. Columbia opted to cancel its main graduation ceremony amid ongoing demonstrations nationwide.
With reports emerging of Israel issuing a partial evacuation order for Rafah, sparking concerns of a potential new offensive, attention is focused on the U.S. response. Despite increasing worries from various young voters and certain members of Joe Biden’s Democratic Party about the mounting civilian casualties, the president has persisted in backing Israel, a key U.S. ally, in its actions in Gaza.
During pressure from both ends of the political spectrum at home during an election year, Biden has sought to tread carefully. While urging for a ceasefire and advising Israel against an invasion of Rafah, he has refrained from halting the supply of U.S. arms or imposing conditions on future aid.
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