BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) – Students took to the streets of Brooklyn on Thursday to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In a video posted on Citizen app, students wearing hoodies and backpacks chanted, “Free, free, Palestine. From the river to the sea.” A few NYPD officers blocked traffic in the streets for the student demonstration.
The student walkout was held without incident, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said. At least 770 students participated citywide.
The demonstration took place after a flyer was posted to social media describing the walkout as a “national shutdown for Palestine.”
New York City Schools Chancellor David Banks sent a letter on Wednesday to staff members, warning of potential violations of the Department of Education’s policy on political speech, according to a report from Chalkbeat.
The letter read in part, “We will review and take appropriate action on a case-by-case basis.”
The “national shutdown for Palestine” walkout was expected to culminate with a demonstration in Bryant Park.
Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here.
