A group of anti-Israel protesters stormed the New York Times building on Friday, demanding that the newspaper stop its “biased” coverage of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. The protesters, who identified themselves as members of Jewish Voice for Peace and If Not Now, accused the newspaper of “inciting genocide” against the Palestinians by supporting Israel’s right to self-defense.
The protesters entered the building around noon, chanting slogans such as “NYT, stop lying” and “Free Palestine”. They occupied the lobby and the editorial floor, where they confronted some of the journalists and editors. They also displayed banners and signs that read “NYT: Stop whitewashing Israel’s war crimes” and “NYT: Stop silencing Palestinian voices”.
The police arrived at the scene shortly after and tried to disperse the protesters, who resisted and clashed with the officers. Some of the protesters were arrested and taken away in handcuffs, while others managed to escape. The police said that no one was injured in the incident, but that the building suffered some minor damage.
The New York Times issued a statement in response to the protest, saying that it was “deeply disturbed” by the “unlawful and violent” actions of the protesters. The statement said that the newspaper was committed to “fair and accurate” reporting of the Israel-Hamas conflict and that it respected the right of people to express their opinions peacefully.
The protest was part of a series of demonstrations that have taken place across the US and around the world in recent weeks, as the violence between Israel and Hamas has escalated. The protesters have called for an end to the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza, which have killed more than 200 Palestinians, including many civilians and children. They have also condemned the rocket attacks by Hamas, which have killed 12 Israelis and injured hundreds more. They have urged the US government to stop its military aid to Israel and to pressure it to agree to a ceasefire and a political solution.