There Was a Huge Palestinian Flag Hanging From the Manhattan Bridge
So, among other things, this summer has been a big one for flags on bridges. First, there were the German artists who replaces the Brooklyn Bridge’s American flags with their own, white American flags. And then tonight, a huge Palestinian flag saying “Boycott, Divest, Sanction” was unfurled from the Manhattan Bridge during a march protesting Israel’s bombing of Gaza.
Via Gothamist, we learned that flag was hung from the south side of the bridge and “hung from the bridge for at least 30 minutes before it was removed.” This was all part of a demonstration intended to bring “attention to the unequivocal support of Israel by NYC’s political elite, despite overwhelming condemnation from the international community. Activists will call attention to Israel’s continued assault on the region—the most recent military operation, which has left more than 2,000 men, women and children dead and thousands injured, the crippling 8-year economic siege of Gaza, and the U.S.’s funding of Israel’s war crimes, topping $100 billion since it first began in 1962.” And, at this point in New York, it seems like nothing draws more attention than putting a flag up on a bridge.
NYPD choppers are reportedly still circling both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges (the march took place on both), but the demonstration has been completely peaceful. The pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divest, Sanction (BDS) movement is part of a larger effort to hurt Israel economically via refusing to buy such diverse products as SodaStream and Ahava cosmetic products. You can learn more about it here.
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