NEW YORK, N.Y. — Pro-Palestine demonstrators temporarily shut down Grand Central Station on Monday in a disruptive protest coinciding with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the White House, according to the New York Police Department and protest organizers.
Key Points
- Pro-Palestine protest halted access to Grand Central Station during Monday evening rush
- Demonstrators began outside the UN before marching to Midtown transportation hub
- Officials condemn the protest; NYC commuters report being blocked from station
Protest began at UN Headquarters
The demonstration, organized by the group Within Our Lifetime, began outside the United Nations headquarters before protesters marched to Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan. Videos posted online show crowds blocking entrances and holding banners inside and outside the station.
According to the NYPD, station access was restricted due to the size of the protest. Witnesses reported barricades and being “locked out” of the facility, one of the city’s busiest transportation hubs.
A post on X by Within Our Lifetime stated the group aimed to “platform our message to one of the largest transportation hubs in the world.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy sharply criticized the protest and called for accountability. “Disgusting. These antisemitic mobs shutting down transit centers need to be condemned and the organizers should be held accountable,” Duffy wrote on X. “Now, they have to worry about pro-Hamas agitators. Enough is enough.”
Duffy also questioned the response of state and transit authorities, writing, “Where is @MTA? Why were these people able to suspend service at one of the biggest transportation hubs in America? Where is the condemnation from @GovKathyHochul?”
Commuter disruption during rush hour
Grand Central Station, which serves hundreds of thousands of commuters daily, saw restricted entry and delays during the protest. As of Monday evening, NYPD officers remained stationed around the terminal to monitor the situation and ensure service resumed.
No arrests were immediately reported. The MTA has not yet commented on the disruption.
Protesters halted trains, blocked doors, and brought rush hour chaos to Grand Central during Netanyahu’s DC visit.