Thousands march in NYC to protest Netanyahu’s U.N. hate speech

New York, Sept. 26 — Over 10,000 people marched through Manhattan this morning, condemning Zionist leader Netanyahu’s appearance at the United Nations. They demanded that the war criminal be arrested.

People gathered at Times Square, where speakers denounced the U.S.-supplied and financed genocide that has killed at least 20,000 children in Gaza.

Many organizations helped build the protest, including the Palestinian Youth Movement, ANSWER Coalition, The People’s Forum, PAL-Awda, Nodutdol, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation.

There were contingents of Koreans, anti-Zionist Jews and people from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Buses came from a number of towns and cities in the Northeast.

Environmental activists, who were in New York for U.N. climate week, including a contingent of Native people from Alaska, joined the march.

Protesters marched uptown in the streets, with the protest extending several blocks in length. People chanted “Free, free, free Palestine!” while drums were played. Colorful banners were carried.

Some marchers carried Colombian flags and a large banner supporting Colombian President Petro’s call for the nations of the world to send a multinational protective force to Gaza to physically stop the genocide.

Speaking to the General Assembly this week, the Colombian President Gustavo Petro called on the body to invoke its “unite for peace” power to circumvent U.S. veto power on the Security Council.

Marchers filled Dag Hammarskjold Park, located across from the U.N. After the rally and a Friday prayer and sermon, people gathered in the plaza, where they were surprised by a personal visit from President Petro and musician Roger Waters. Petro, speaking over a megaphone, repeated his call for an international liberation army to go to Palestine. He also called on U.S. soldiers to refuse illegal orders to fire on humanity. In retaliation, the Trump regime, in violation of the U.N. charter, cancelled the visa of the president of 53 million Colombian people.

The night before, six people were arrested in a midnight noise protest outside the Loews Regency hotel where Netanyahu was staying.

Inside the United Nations, dozens of delegations, representing the vast majority of humanity, walked as Netanyahu began to speak, leaving him to address a nearly empty hall.

The world says: Stop the genocide!