Protesters, including Council member Tiffany Cabán, apprehended alongside 49 others during an occupation of Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand's Midtown offices.
In a dramatic display of civil disobedience, over 200 protesters from Jewish Voices for Peace stormed the lobby of Senator Chuck Schumer's office at 780 3rd Avenue, New York. The protest, which took place on a recent day, aimed to pressure Senator Schumer and others to block U.S. weapon sales to Israel, believed to be contributing to the catastrophic death toll in Gaza.
The protesters, including several elected officials like Councilmember Tiffany Cabán and Assembly member Claire Valdez, unfurled banners reading "let Gaza live" and "let aid in now," and banged pots and pans, while chanting slogans such as "stop starving Gaza" and "let it end." Some protesters wept and sang songs with the same message.
The protest was a response to a Senate vote where 75% of senators, including New York's senators Schumer and Gillibrand, rejected blocking certain weapon sales to Israel. Councilmember Tiffany Cabán explained her participation by saying the protest was to stop the starvation of Gaza, criticizing the U.S. role in enabling the blockade and bombings there.
Rabbi Abby Stein, a member of the Jewish Voice for Peace Rabbinic Council, also stated that Jewish teachings compel them to take action to save lives. Stein added that blocking the sales of deadly U.S. weapons to the Israeli military could save lives in Gaza.
After about an hour, the NYPD arrived and began cuffing protesters and clearing the lobby. Approximately 50 protesters, including Cabán and Valdez, were arrested in pairs using zip-ties. Due to the large number of arrests, a bus was used to remove the protesters.
Our platform has reached out to Senator Schumer and Gillibrand's offices for a response, but no comment has been received as of yet. The arrests and the protest continue to spark heated discussions and debates about the U.S.'s role in the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
- Progressive groups, such as Jewish Voices for Peace, have been heavily involved in vocalizing their concerns about war-and-conflicts, particularly the crisis in Gaza, by organizing protests and lobbying U.S. political figures like Senators Schumer and Gillibrand to interfere in the ongoing arms sales to Israel.
- Engagement in politics and general-news discussions has been amplified by recent demonstrations, like the one led by Jewish Voices for Peace, which aim to change U.S. policies regarding Middle Eastern wars and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
