Arrests made as pro-Palestinian protesters gather outside NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology

NEW YORK — Arrests were made Tuesday night as pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside New York City’s Fashion Institute of Technology, police say.

The demonstration began in Union Square, where hundreds gathered to call for a cease-fire as Israel now enters the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

Police followed closely behind as the hundreds marched and traffic stalled. A handful of people were arrested, but most of the march was peaceful.

The protesters then headed to FIT in Chelsea, where they rallied around an encampment.

It is unknown at this time how many arrests have been made. Dan Rice in Chopper 2 reports he also observed part of the encampment being dismantled.

Rallies causing tension in New York City

Celeste Faison, executive director of Movement for Black Lives and a demonstration strategist in Harlem, believes New York’s pro-Palestinian demonstrations have grown in recent weeks both because of developments in the war as well as the imagery coming out of college campuses.

“The point of protest is to stop business as usual,” she said. “They are being examples of what repression looks like that then resonates with folks and folks want to fight against that both for the people in their community and abroad.”

“It’s all part of putting political pressure on the system,” protest organizer Layan Fuleihan said. “The past months have shown that actually when we get organized and we get together, we have a lot more power than we think.”

Tuesday’s arrests come on the same day Mayor Eric Adams announced he is putting up $5,000 out of his own pocket for information on the vandals who targeted a World War I statue on the Upper East Side on Monday night.

Police believe the graffiti is the work of the pro-Palestinian demonstrators who tried to disrupt the Met Gala. More than two dozen were arrested there. Some in the crowd clashed with police, burned the American flag and rushed barricades in the street.