Hundreds of activists staged a sit-in at the Statue of Liberty on Monday afternoon, demanding an immediate end to the Israel-Hamas war.
Dressed uniformly in black, the protesters with Jewish Voice for Peace gathered on the pedestal shortly before 1 p.m. when they dropped massive banners with calls for a cease-fire and other slogans, such as “The Whole World Is Watching” and “Never Again for Anyone.”
The group sang “Cease-fire now” and occupied the national monument for about 20 minutes before dispersing. The protest, which the group said included more than 500 people, continued on a ferry headed back to Manhattan.
“We came to the Statue of Liberty today because we are inspired by the words of our Jewish ancestor, Emma Lazarus, that are etched into the monument,” said Jay Saper, an JVP organizer.
“Those words compel us to take action to support the Palestinians of Gaza yearning to be free. And we will continue to take action until we bring about a cease-fire and until Palestinians are free.”
Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani said he joined the protest as a “New Yorker of conscious.” “This is one of the greatest symbols of New York City and our supposed commitments to universal values of liberty and freedom and respite,” he said. “And yet what we’ve seen is our country allowing for a genocide to take place.”
Mamdani, a socialist representing Queens, has protested across the city over the past month and was arrested alongside a colleague during a similar demonstration outside the Brooklyn home of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“How many children have to be killed until we can finally see a position of cease-fire from our White House and federally elected officials?”
The Statue of Liberty protest is the latest high-profile action by the Jewish-led group that has long organized against Israel’s treatment of Palestinians. On October 27, they led thousands to occupy Grand Central Terminal during the Friday rush hour, bringing the transit hub to a standstill.
Monday’s action was planned in secret with the mostly young activists blending in with sightseers as they made their way patiently through security in time to board the 11 a.m. ferry from lower Manhattan to Liberty Island.
They quickly scarfed down breakfast sandwiches and chatted among themselves with a happy, nervous excitement. “This is the most touristy thing I’ve ever done,” one young man said to a friend as he disembarked, clutching a green foam Lady Liberty crown in his hands. On the island, more small groups convened, taking last-minute trips to the bathroom and taking headcount.
