- Pro-Palestinian protesters gathered at the Met Gala in New York and faced a swift response from the New York police, who were prepared for their arrival.
- The protests, part of the “Day of Rage for Gaza,” began earlier at Columbia University and New York University and were scheduled to converge at nearby Hunter College.
- Police arrested at least one protester and prepared to receive more with zip ties.
Pro-Palestinian protesters attended the Met Gala in New York on Monday night, but were met with a swift response from the New York police, who had been preparing for the possibility of protesters showing up.
The protests, officially announced as part of the ‘Day of Rage for Gaza: From the Camps to the Streets,’ began Monday afternoon at Columbia University and the New York University Center.
Both protests met at CUNY Hunter College at 5 p.m., just a mile from the Met, or about a 20-minute walk.
Outside the Met, one protester was quickly handcuffed and arrested by police.
Other uniformed officers could be seen walking the streets armed with dozens of zip ties in case more protesters wanted to show up and cause a disturbance.
A pro-Palestinian protester is detained at the scene even before the Met Gala begins in New York City
NYPD officers are seen outside the 2024 Met Gala as they prepare for any disruption.
Pro-Palestinian protesters arrived at the Met Gala in New York on Monday night before it had even begun in earnest.
The NYPD had previously said it was well prepared, adding that it would have “an adequate security deployment.”
NYPD sources said the Met will have a larger-than-normal security contingent, with plainclothes police inside and outside the museum along Fifth Avenue in the iconic Upper East Side venue.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, along with police, noted how “outside agitators” had been involved in the college demonstrations that had invaded college campuses across the city over the past two weeks.
Gaza protesters have not shied away from disrupting other high-profile events in the city, including the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and last year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting.
The Met Gala features some of the biggest names in film, fashion, music, sports, politics and social media, making it something of a lightning rod for protests.
The nationwide protests on Columbia’s campus began in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
Earlier in the day, the Ivy League school announced the cancellation of its university-wide graduation ceremony, scheduled for May 15.
The protesters were met with a swift response from the NYPD, who had been preparing for the possibility of protesters showing up.
The NYPD had previously said it was well prepared, adding that it would have “an adequate security deployment.”
Officers take a person in handcuffs away from the 2024 Met Gala on Monday night
Actor Chris Hemsworth and his wife make a grand entrance under tight security from the New York Police Department at the Met Gala in New York City.
On Monday afternoon, around 200 protesters took part in the protest.
The protest was expected to move north toward the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Hunter College said all safety measures being taken are out of an abundance of caution.
Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered Monday night at Hunter College in Manhattan, just a mile away from the star-studded 2024 Met Gala.
The protesters’ message was clear and they called for an end to the war in Gaza.
Students could be seen holding up signs from inside Hunter College.
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NYPD officers set up barricades outside the entrance to Hunter College at East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue starting at 3 p.m. Monday.
The protesters carried a multitude of Palestinian signs and flags.
The posters called for a ceasefire and called for the war in Gaza to stop.
Some students showed their solidarity with the protesters from inside
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