More than two dozen people were arrested near Times Square on Thursday, including a 23-year-old accused of an anti-Semitic hate crime, as street fights erupted between pro-Israel and pro-Palestine demonstrators.
The dueling rallies drew hundreds of people to the streets of Midtown just hours after Israel and Hamas agreed to a cease-fire in the bruising conflict that's killed approximately 243 people in Gaza and 12 in Israel.
In Manhattan on Thursday, the confrontation between the two sides turned violent at times. In one incident that was caught on video, a group of men punched, kicked, and pepper sprayed a 29-year-old while making anti-Semitic statements, police said.
Waseem Awawdeh, a 23-year-old Brooklyn resident, was arrested and charged with hate crime assault, gang assault, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon for his his alleged role in the beating.
In another video, a supporter from the pro-Israel group appeared to snatch a Palestinian flag. He was quickly confronted by another demonstrator, who was then arrested by police.
A third video shared to Twitter shows an apparent explosion in the Diamond District, which sent several pedestrians scrambling for safety. An NYPD spokesperson said that an unknown individual had thrown a firework from a vehicle, causing minor burns to a 55-year-old woman. Police recovered firework shells and brass knuckles from the scene.
In a statement, Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was directing the state's Hate Crimes Task Force to investigate the incidents.
"I unequivocally condemn these brutal attacks on visibly Jewish New Yorkers and we will not tolerate anti-Semitic violent gang harassment and intimidation," Cuomo said.
The top charges protesters faced included resisting arrest, unlawful assembly, and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.
Photos show the burnt flags of both Israel and Palestine discarded on the street.
It was not immediately clear who organized the demonstrations. Heshy Tischler, a right-wing Orthodox Jewish radio host who recently pled guilty to inciting a mob against a journalist, was in attendance.
Heshy Tischler at Thursday night's protest in Times Square
Though the Egyptian-brokered cease fire appeared to be holding on Friday, tensions continued to mount in East Jerusalem, after Israeli police reportedly stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque and fired tear gas at worshippers.
The conflict has repeatedly spilled onto the streets of New York City in recent weeks. One protest in Midtown last week marked the largest pro-Palestine rally in recent history, according to longtime activists.
This article has been updated to include further information about the arrests.
