Thousands March in Midtown Manhattan to Demand End of Gaza Blockade

Thousands of demonstrators filled Midtown Manhattan on Saturday in a protest dubbed “Stop Starving Gaza,” demanding an end to Israel’s blockade of the enclave and the suspension of U.S. military aid to the country. Crowds first gathered on the steps of the New York Public Library at Bryant Park before marching up Fifth Avenue toward the Israeli consulate, waving Palestinian flags and chanting for a “global intifada.” Activist Mahmoud Khalil, recently released from a brief U.S. detention related to campus protests, addressed the rally, accusing Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war and targeting journalists who document the conflict. TeleSUR and other organizers estimated the turnout at more than 10,000 people, making it one of the largest pro-Palestinian marches in New York this year. Police kept a visible but non-confrontational presence and, as of Saturday evening, reported no major incidents or arrests. Parallel demonstrations underscored the breadth of international support. In Toronto, members of the Palestinian Youth Movement briefly blocked the Yonge–Dundas intersection after officers on bicycles attempted to hold the crowd while organizers outlined their march route. In Sanaa, Yemen, thousands rallied after Friday prayers, joined by elements of the country’s military, to protest Israeli airstrikes and the Gaza blockade. The coordinated actions come amid mounting concern from aid agencies over worsening food shortages in Gaza, where the United Nations says more than half the population faces acute hunger. Organizers in New York vowed to maintain pressure on the Biden administration—already under bipartisan scrutiny for its backing of Israel—until a sustained cease-fire and unrestricted humanitarian access are in place.