Pro-Palestinian protesters disrespected Veteran’s Day during a demonstration in New York City, according to reports.
Police said that a 17-year-old male at a pro-Palestine demonstration in the liberal city of New York was cited after tearing down both the U.S. and U.N. flags, leaving only the Palestinian flags.
Crowds reportedly gathered and cheered the teenager as he tore down each flag. According to authorities, the individual was given a citation for “creating a hazardous condition” with a “substantial risk of serious physical injury.”
The incident occurred during the “Flood Manhattan for Gaza” protest, which was organized by the pro-Palestine group Within Our Lifetime. Demonstrations were staged across the New York borough, including Times Square, a McDonald’s restaurant, and the New York Times building.
Videos of the protest received mixed responses on social media, such as from billionaire businessman Elon Musk, who condemned the flag-tearing as it happened during the Veterans Day holiday.
“Did they just tear down an American flag on Veterans Day in America? Am I understanding this correctly?” Musk wrote on his social media platform X.
“This is an invasion,” one user responded to Musk’s post. “The government let this happen and the police are doing nothing. How are we going to fix this? Is it even possible?”
“My favorite part is how there are dozens of police standing around prepared to arrest anyone who tried to stop them,” another user wrote.
This comes after the Iran-backed Hamas attacked Israel and invaded towns along the Gaza border earlier last month, killing at least 700 people. The attack prompted Israel to declare war against the terrorist group with a ruthless aerial campaign that has flattened homes, schools, medical institutions, and government buildings in the Gaza Strip.
President Joe Biden has since pledged his support for Israel, with his administration already moving military units to the country as well as supplying them with munitions and interceptors to ensure the Iron Dome defense system has enough supplies.
“We stand with Israel. We stand with Israel. And we will make sure Israel has what it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and respond to this attack,” he said in remarks days following the attack. “There is no justification for terrorism. There is no excuse.”
