On Monday, anti-Israel demonstrators vandalised a World War I memorial in Central Park and set fire to an American flag following a confrontation with police officers. The incident occurred after a crowd of over 1,000 protesters was prevented from reaching the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the Met Gala was taking place.

Some protesters lit the flag at the site of the One Hundred Seventh Infantry Memorial. The memorial was also vandalised with black graffiti reading ‘Gaza.’

Protesters were seen covering the statue's soldiers with stickers bearing the Palestinian flag and slogans such as "Stop the Genocide. End the apartheid. Free Palestine." Some individuals climbed atop the infantrymen, draping them with Palestinian flags or waving the flags in the air.

Earlier in the evening, over two dozen protesters were arrested near Madison Ave and East 83rd Street. Many of these demonstrators were marching from Hunter College towards the Met Gala. As they proceeded north on Fifth Avenue, they obstructed traffic, prompting police intervention. The authorities ultimately halted their progress at the East 79th Street Transverse in Central Park.

Hunter College is where the Palestinian activist group Within Our Lifetime called for a “Day of Rage” protest to march towards the Met. “Disclose, divest, we will not stop, we will not rest,” the group chanted while waving Palestinian flags. They were seen wearing keffiyeh face coverings.

Despite the demonstrators' alleged intention to target the star-studded event, they were unable to reach their destination. Instead, the crowd was redirected into Central Park, where police subsequently blocked the exits.

The group attempted to approach the museum via alternative routes, but law enforcement officers stopped them each time, halting their progress.

Image source: Reuters