NEW YORK — Sept. 24, 2026
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gathered at Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan Thursday afternoon before marching toward United Nations headquarters as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The demonstration was scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at Bryant Park, 476 Fifth Ave., near West 42nd Street and the New York Public Library. The march, led by the Palestinian Youth Movement and joined by other groups, left the Bryant Park area shortly afterward and headed east toward the United Nations. Protesters carried Palestinian flags and signs opposing Netanyahu and Israel’s actions in Gaza.
By approximately 5 p.m., the procession had reached the area of East 42nd Street near Second and Third avenues. The crowd filled sections of the roadway, prompting street closures and restrictions on pedestrian traffic. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority also reported delays affecting several bus routes through the area.
The Bryant Park march was one of several demonstrations held in Manhattan that day in connection with Netanyahu’s appearance at the United Nations. Earlier Thursday, a separate protest near First Avenue and East 39th Street blocked traffic and resulted in numerous arrests after demonstrators refused orders to clear the roadway.
Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly earlier in the afternoon. During the speech, a number of delegates walked out of the chamber while others remained and applauded. Outside the United Nations, demonstrations both supporting and opposing Netanyahu took place throughout the day.
The Bryant Park procession continued east through Midtown, placing the protest within blocks of the United Nations during one of the busiest weeks of diplomatic activity in New York City.