New York police intervene in peace demonstrations held by Jewish activists at Grand Central

NEW YORK, THE UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 27, 2023: A peace-oriented Jewish group gathered at the iconic Grand Central train station in New York on Friday (Oct. 27) , calling for an "urgent ceasefire" in response to Israel's Gaza operation. The organization called "Jewish Voice for Peace" (JVP) announced through social media that groups gathered and occupied the main passenger hall of Grand Central, New York's largest train station. Hundreds of American Jews, wearing black shirts, sang hymns while holding banners that read "Free Palestine," "Ceasefire Now," "Seize Grand Central for an Immediate Ceasefire Demand," and "Stand on the Right Side of History." JVP and IfNotNow, two Jewish civil society organizations, used their social media platforms to announce in parallel with the protest: "Currently, 7,000 Palestinians have died, and more than a million people have been displaced. Israeli leaders continue to openly use the rhetoric of genocide." Members of the Jewish organizations chanted slogans like "We won't allow genocide to happen on our watch" and "Immediate ceasefire" during the protest for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza. In a post on the X platform by the IfNotNow group, it was stated, "As the Israeli government kills, bombs, and occupies the people of Gaza in darkness and hunger in the coming days and weeks, our actions will determine our lives." (Footage by Selçuk Acar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)