Palestinian protest in the heart of New York
Palestinian protest in the heart of New YorkREUTERS/Carlo Allegri

Thousands of anti-Israeli protesters, including some who were proudly waving Hamas flags, demonstrated in New York City on Labor Day on Monday, lighting flares and setting off smoke bombs as they marched toward the heart of the city, The New York Post reported.

The demonstrators, who numbered about 7,000 according to the report, gathered at Union Square in Manhattan in the early afternoon and began their raucous march to Washington Square Park.

The crowd waved Hamas flags along with Palestinian Arab, Syrian, Iranian and Hezbollah banners, chanting “Free Palestine!” and, “Resistance is justified when people are occupied.”

One protester waved a traditional Muslim keffiyeh scarf to block a TV camera, while another called a news crew “a disgrace” to the US.

A counter-protester with an Israeli flag was berated by the crowd, according to The New York Post.

The White House blasted the waving of Hamas flags during the demonstration.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said that President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris “and the entire Biden-Harris Administration condemn any individual associating with the repugnant terrorist organization Hamas.”

“It is especially heinous to express support for Hamas on the same day as the funeral for an innocent American hostage who they brutally murdered. This is a moment for all Americans to come together and stand against antisemitism and against the sickening hate and evil that Hamas represents,” added Bates.