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Pro-Palestinian protesters shut down NYC vigil for victims Oct. 7 Hamas attack

Kerry Burke and Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News on

Published in News & Features

A vigil at Manhattan’s Union Square to remember the 1,200 Jews killed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel three years ago was thrown into chaos Wednesday when more than 200 pro-Palestinian demonstrators swarmed the plaza, officials said.

Waving Palestinian flags and screaming “Normalize the intifada!” and “There is only one solution … Revolution!,” protesters began taking over the seats that were set aside for mourners at the 7 p.m. vigil, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani was expected to attend, but not speak.

There were only about 50 attendees at the vigil when the protesters arrived. Although the vigil’s program was sidelined, pro-Israeli mourners lit candles and stood silently, holding signs reading “Not one more life” as they faced off against Palestinian protesters.

Comptroller Brad Lander was already in attendance at the vigil and was cursed out by the protesters as he stood with pro-Israeli mourners.

Vigil organizers asked for more time to reconsider their plans as protesters shut them down at every turn.

Mamdani, who is walking a political tightrope between Jewish and Palestinian New Yorkers, was nowhere to be seen when screaming protesters began taking over seats.

 

NYPD officers managed to corral the Palestinian protesters to the southern end of the plaza. No violence occurred and no arrests were immediately made.

The pro-Palestinian protesters marched up from City Hall, where they spent the afternoon rallying in support of Palestine — and against the mayor.

“Mayor Mamdani, you can’t hide / We charge you with genocide,” the group chanted, some hoisting anti-Mamdani signs.

Organizers said memorials of those who died and testimonials of those who survived were going to be read aloud at the vigil.

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©2026 New York Daily News. Visit nydailynews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

 

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