Pro-Palestinian protesters in Brooklyn clash with NYPD, 22 charged

A chaotic clash in Brooklyn between pro-Palestinian protestors and NYPD cops ended with 19 adults and three juveniles charged, officials said Sunday.

The Bay Ridge demonstration brought out thousands of protesters before turning violent Saturday night. One video on social media showed an NYPD officer appearing to punch a demonstrator, while the NYPD countered that cops were pelted with “eggs, fireworks, and bottles.”

Bay Ridge includes an enclave for a large Arab population in the city. The protest marked the second time in as many days NYPD cops took pro-Palestinian demonstrators into custody.

An NYPD spokesperson said the protesters did not have a permit but were “mostly peaceful,” though some “chose to act in a combative and aggressive manner.

“Officers were pushed, shoved, and struck by some demonstrators within the crowd after the LRAD (long-range acoustic device) device was utilized,” the NYPD said in a statement. “Officers were struck with flying debris which included eggs, fireworks, and bottles.”

NYPD officers have used the department’s LRAD “sound cannons” at protests for several years, leading to a $750,00 legal settlement with Black Lives Matters protestors in 2021 that bars the cops from using a loud high-pitched “deterrent” alert tone.

The NYPD said that the officer caught on video throwing a punch was part of a group trying to take people into custody on Fifth Ave. near 72nd St.

“In the course of doing so, the officer seen in the video is reacting to active resistance by criminals within the crowd,” the statement reads. “The NYPD encourages peaceful protests but will not condone our officers being subjected to any form of violence.”

Ten men and six women were issued summonses for disorderly conduct and released, while two men, ages 29 and 18, and a woman, 19, were arrested and given desk appearance tickets for charges including resisting arrest and disorderly conduct, according to an NYPD spokesman.

Two minors were given juvenile reports, while a third got a summons.

On Sunday, Bay Ridge residents praised the protests, saying the majority of demonstrators were spreading a message of unity and peace.

“The cops hit somebody, (a) young guy. My friend showed me yesterday … it’s a shame. It’s very bad,” said Dondu Jacob, 52. “The Jewish and Palestine people, we need peace…. The protest is good for trying to keep that message of keeping peace. It’s good to see people united.”

Kamal Eldin, 66, who works at a nearby jewelry store, said he saw Muslims and Jewish people protesting together with a common message.

“They were saying what they need In Gaza — food, medical supplies — and to stop the fighting,” he said. “I feel happy because all kinds of people are saying what the people need and showing their support.”

Southern Brooklyn Councilman Ari Kagan, who recently switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican, blasted the protest, calling it a “shameful pro-Hamas & anti-Israel rally.”

“Today in Bay Ridge there was a rally against ‘Genocide in Gaza’. No speaker mentioned HAMAS atrocities against innocent Israeli civilians. And crowd chanted HAMAS slogan: ‘From the river to the sea Palestine will be free!’ — advocating for eradication of Jews from Israel,” he tweeted.

The protest, organized by a group called Within Our Lifetime, called for an end to airstrikes on civilians in Gaza and for a halt to U.S. funding for the Israeli military.

On Friday, hundreds of pro-Palestinian protestors gathered in Midtown to demand a ceasefire in the war. Cops took 139 of them into custody for blocking traffic and later released them with disorderly conduct summonses, according to the NYPD.