Times Square, October 13, 2023

When the Palestine rally was planned to be held in Times Square less than two weeks after October 7, public school principals issued warnings to families about possible violence that might be caused by the protesters, and directed folks to pick up students and safely return home. New Yorkers were warned by the Mayor Eric Adams himself about the “terrorist sympathizers” who might disrupt the city and that New Yorkers should stay home. An environment of fear was officially unleashed to stigmatize Arab-Americans even further. And yet, thousands of New Yorkers turned up and showed who they really were. They stood against oppression and they did not remain silent. The first two rallies in Times Square cemented the foundation for what was to be expected in coming days. New Yorkers collectively declared that the Mayor and other genocide apologists hiding away were the coward lot, and they were the ones complicit in the murders of innocent civilians of Gaza. And as it turned out, the only person who got arrested on October 13 (or, ever since) for carrying a gun, was a zionist sympathizer councilwoman Inna Vernikov.

Photos © Saswat Pattanayak