Pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators gather in New York (archive)
Pro-Palestinian Arab demonstrators gather in New York (archive)REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

A pro-Palestinian Arab protest took a chilling turn on Saturday as hundreds of demonstrators packed Columbus Circle, at one point dragging a burning Israeli flag down the street and issuing a chilling warning for those who support Israel: “Your days are numbered,” The New York Post reported.

“For those who support genocide in the US your days are numbered and are coming to an end,” one organizer yelled into a microphone, adding, “US government is the #1 funder of Israel terrorism.”

Roughly 300 demonstrators started at Columbus Circle around 2:00 p.m. and marched up the West Side to the American Museum of Natural History, according to The New York Post.

They flooded into The Shops at Columbus Circle, chanting, “Bombs are dropping while you’re shopping,” prompting store owners to quickly run to shut their doors.

Some protesters also harassed a woman carrying a pro-Israel sign, snatching it away, along with a sign held by a man nearby, and screaming at them.

The woman was able to run to police, who escorted her a few blocks away.

A statue of Abraham Lincoln was also wrapped in a Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) flag and its hat was slapped with a sticker that read, “Every time the media lies, a neighborhood in Gaza dies.”

The museum was barricaded by the time protesters arrived nearly three hours later, and around 30 officers were lined up blocking the entrances.

Nerdeen Kiswani, of the pro-Palestinian Arab group Within Our Lifetime, which organized Saturday’s demonstration said protesters were taking a stand after Mayor Eric Adams and Gov. Kathy Hochul showed support for Israel.

“Israel bombs, USA pays, how many kids did you kill today?” she chanted, before added, “Joe Biden, you can’t hide, we charge you with genocide.”

Saturday’s incident came two days after a group of about 30 anti-Israel protesters ran into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in Manhattan and some of them glued themselves to the street.

One protester yelled, “Free Palestine! From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a genocidal chant calling for the complete destruction of the State of Israel and its Jewish inhabitants.

A number of protesters were arrested for disturbing the peace. Local media reported that parade participants and spectators were upset with the disruption.