Anti-Israel protesters cause havoc outside the Met Gala, vandalize war memorial

The glitz and glamour of the Met Gala in New York City was not without controversy this year as anti-Israel protesters descended on the area of the annual event in an attempt to cause a disruption.

Anti-Israel protesters have escalated their tactics in recent weeks in response to nationwide clampdowns on encampments on colleges campuses and the Israeli military entering the city of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Organizers called for a "Day of Rage" to put pressure on the United States to intervene and stop Israel's latest military operations.

"Pro Palestine protesters take to the streets in New York City outside of the Met Gala to call attention to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, with the ruling class continuing their lives of extreme excess whilst Palestinians are dying every minute in the US backed ‘war,’" a pro-Palestinian account posted on X.

Videos posted on Monday evening showed New York City police officers having a hard time keeping the crowd away from the location where the Met Gala was being held. Protesters cut through Central Park to avoid police barricades in order to get closer to the event.

A fight also broke out during the march, which saw protesters trying to stay one step ahead of the NYPD.

Toward the end of the night, "Day of Rage" protesters stopped their march at the 107th infantry War Soldier Memorial, which honors soldiers who served with the unit during World War I. Some protesters started to drape Palestinian flags on the memorial and vandalize it with graffiti. Protesters also set fire to an American flag at the base of the monument.

"These terrorist sympathizers committed felony violations of the Veterans’ Memorial Preservation and Recognition Act by defacing this memorial to the 107th Infantry," Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said in response to the videos showing the vandalism. "I call upon Joe Biden’s DOJ to use the same techniques against them that it used against every grandma in a red MAGA hat within a country mile of the Capitol on January 6, 2021."

"Just got word that a good friend of mine and Veteran has cleared the 107th Infantry War Soldier Memorial of the Hamas propaganda left by vandals this evening, and planted an American flag at the base. He and another Veteran went into action as soon as images emerged of what had happened here. Sadly this is far from over," NYC Councilwoman Vickie Paladino said, posting pictures showing some of the vandalism had been removed.