NYC’s iconic ‘Charging Bull’ statue graffitied with ‘Death to Israel’ during protest
Lower Manhattan’s iconic “Charging Bull” statue was defaced with the hateful message “Death to Israel” as protesters waving Palestinian flags marched through the area Thursday night.
The graffiti written in black marker was located behind the ear of the bull, while “Free Palestine” was scrawled across its face, according to photos.
The vandalism was spotted by The Post as a crowd of anti-Israel protesters passed by the tourist hot spot.
Some in the group, including a man dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish garb, climbed atop the bronze statue and waved Palestinian flags.
The protesters eventually made their way toward City Hall, where multiple people were arrested.
The NYPD said eight people were issued summonses for disorderly conduct and another was charged with resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.
The wave of people who flooded the streets of Lower Manhattan were part of an “Emergency Action For Gaza” rally in response to the deaths of over 100 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip early Thursday.
Gazans who witnessed the tragedy said they saw Israeli troops open fire on the crowd of hungry Palestinians who were attempting to pull boxes of flour and canned food from aid trucks.
But Israel has blamed a chaotic stampede for the deaths and claimed its troops only fired “a few warning shots” when the crowd became unruly.
Kamel Abu Nahel, who was shot in the leg, told the Associated Press that Israeli troops began shooting as desperate Gazans grabbed the boxes off the trucks — causing people to flee and take shelter under cars.
Once the shooting stopped, many returned to the trucks but the soldiers opened fire again and Nahel was shot in the leg and fell over, he said.
A truck speeding away then ran over his leg while he was still on the ground, he said.
Many of the deaths are reportedly from people being run over by the panicked trucks that fled when the bullets began flying, a Palestinian witness told BBC.
The United Nations is investigating Thursday’s mass-death event and has also warned of a looming famine in Gaza.
With Post wires
