Pro-Palestinian protesters outside Biden NYC fundraiser hurl smoke bombs, clash with cops

On X, Within Our Lifetime declared the protest a success.

“Despite severe repression, police brutality and dozens of arrests, hundreds flooded the streets of Manhattan tonight to stand with Gaza and confront Biden during his visit to NYC,” the group wrote.

During the Thursday night debate with Trump, Biden reaffirmed the U.S. support of Israel, which outraged city protesters.

“He came to NYC but was met with nothing but protesters (sic) flooding Manhattan for Palestine,” Within Our Lifetime wrote.

Trump blasted Biden’s calls for a cease-fire, saying he doesn’t want to help Israel “finish the job” against Hamas.

“He doesn’t want to do it. He’s become like a Palestinian – but they don’t like him because he’s a very bad Palestinian, he’s a weak one,” Trump said during the debate in Atlanta.

Critics called Trump’s comments “blatantly racist” toward Palestinians.

“Using Palestinian as a slur shows the depths of racism that exists here,” Ayah Ziyadeh, director of American Muslims for Palestine, told Al Jazeera.

Biden’s visit to New York came as he tried to quiet widespread concern over his poor debate performance as well as calls for him to drop out of the race against Trump.

During his trip, he attended an LBGTQ community ribbon-cutting for the new Stonewall National Monument’s visitor center. Gov. Kathy Hochul, other Democratic leaders and musician Elton John also attended.

The protest against Biden was one of dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrations to take place in New York since the beginning of the Hamas war on Oct. 7.

In recent weeks, protesters have gone beyond unfurling banners and calling for an end of hostilities. On June 12 about a half-dozen demonstrators splattered red paint outside the home of Brooklyn Museum Executive Director Anne Pasternak and other board members in Brooklyn and Manhattan as they called on the Brooklyn Museum to divest from Israel.

On Wednesday, the NYPD arrested a masked pro-Palestinian protester recorded terrorizing a crowded Manhattan subway train at the Union Square station by screaming “Raise your hand if you’re a Zionist!”

The protester, Anas Saleh, was charged with attempted coercion.