The pro-Hamas movement in New York City has not gone away, despite the universities belatedly cleaning up their campuses. On Friday evening, a group decided to take over the Brooklyn Museum. Except they called it “de-occupying.” Ummmm…. no, that’s not how the English language works.

Never mind, they’re rolling.
https://twitter.com/WOLPalestine/status/1796652055810965991
So, who is this group? Their website reads:

“Within Our Lifetime is a Palestinian-led community organization that has been building the movement for Palestine in NYC since 2015.”

And their header picture features mostly women in the front of the frame, either wearing keffiyehs or (hilariously) black surgical masks that seem to have been photoshopped onto faces, along with a sign that says “Globalize the Intifada” – which is a direct call for violence. But what exactly do they have against the Brooklyn Museum? Does the Brooklyn Museum have a display of art that they were intentionally going after?

Nope. They just want to be assholes, it seems. And this was a carefully planned and staged invasion.

The intruders — who were the vanguard of a massive demonstration nearly 1,000 people strong — scaled the building and rappelled down inside of the art museum with climbing equipment, police sources said.

Hundreds of others surrounded the museum and some protesters got into scuffles with security guards, according to a museum spokesperson.

A number of protesters on the roof draped a giant banner reading “Free Palestine Divest From Genocide” over the front of the building, footage posted on social media shows.

Roughly 800 people gathered outside of the museum, located adjacent to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.

Video shows the mob of protesters hopping over metal fence barriers and entering the museum as they chanted “Free free Palestine” and waved Palestinian flags.

Scores of demonstrators holding banners and signs were filmed by an independent journalist inside of the museum lobby chanting “From the sea to the river, Palestine will live forever.”

Police cleared out the building and handcuffed several protesters as others locked outside of the museum pounded on the doors, according to video posted to social media.

Cops were also spotted on the roof of the building.

Due to the chaos, the museum closed an hour early “out of a concern for the building, our collections, and our staff,” the spokesperson said.

And the people being arrested are frequent flyers. They do love them some protests, they love Hamas, and they don’t have anything better to do.

How many times can the same person be arrested in NYC without repercussions?

Kiswani has been arrested repeatedly. Ex on 1/26 below.

I’m aware of protestors that have been arrested at least 5 times in 6 months. It’s all a joke because they don’t impose any real consequences. https://t.co/lRyC7atEuD pic.twitter.com/F0aA5EVwmb

— AG (@AGHamilton29) May 31, 2024

Don’t expect any of these people, who were breaking and entering and RAPPELLING INSIDE THE BUILDING, to face severe consequences, like felonies. That’s not how the DA rolls, unless you’re Donald Trump.

I’ve got $50 saying all of the charges will be dropped by the same DA that just prosecuted the GOP nominee under the excuse that no one is above the law. https://t.co/vclStBgEco

— Sunny (@sunnyright) May 31, 2024

While this crazy was all happening at the Brooklyn Museum, pro-Hamas protesters were getting ready for an encore presentation at Columbia University. Their goal? Make asses of themselves during alumni weekend.

BREAKING NEWS: WE ARE BACK! A group of Palestinian students supported by @Columbiabds have established a new encampment amidst Columbia College’s alumni reunion #Revolt4Rafah pic.twitter.com/tmOSjxS77Z

— Columbia Students for Justice in Palestine (@ColumbiaSJP) May 31, 2024

But unless Columbia deals forcefully with these idiots, history is just going to repeat itself.

The protesters laid down tarps, pitched around 10 tents, and displayed banners reading “While You’re Earning Rafah’s Burning,” “We’re back bitches,” and “@alumni No Donations ‘til Divestment.” In an Instagram post, the Columbia chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine identified the protesters as “an autonomous group of Palestinian students” supported by Columbia University Apartheid Divest.

Several Public Safety officers entered South Lawn and began removing tents at around 7:55 p.m as protesters chanted “Shame.” Protesters then sat inside the tents to prevent officers from taking them, and officers attempted to rip tents from protesters’ hands. An organizer left the lawn with the officers. Five tents remained on the lawn after officers left.

At around 8:15 p.m., protesters barricaded the large white tent in the center of the lawn with wooden tables, reinforcing them with chairs.

“We are aware of the encampment erected this evening and are monitoring the situation. We remain committed to hosting a successful weekend for our alumni,” a University spokesperson wrote in a statement to Spectator.

The Morningside campus remains open only to Columbia ID holders. Students at affiliated institutions, including Barnard College and Teachers College, remain unable to access campus.

As of 11:30 p.m. on Friday, protesters remained on the lawn. Roughly a dozen pro-Palestinian protesters stood outside the 116th Street and Broadway gates chanting “Columbia your hands are red, over 40,000 dead.”

So why is this all happening right now? Why the Brooklyn Museum? Why restart at Columbia?

Could it have anything to do with the Israel Day on Fifth Parade in Manhattan that will be happening on Sunday? The local media is certainly making that connection.

City leaders and the NYPD are also preparing for potential clashes.

The parade attracts a massive turnout and some American and Israeli dignitaries.

In a joint press conference between the mayor’s office and the NYPD on Friday afternoon, Mayor Eric Adams emphasized the city’s commitment to a safe parade this weekend.

“We wanted to show the unified force that we are not going to allow any unlawfulness and any disruption of any celebration of one’s heritage in the city,” Adams said.

Organizers say this year spectators won’t hear the music, bands, or experience a celebratory atmosphere. The message is “Bring Them Home,” referring to the hostages held by Hamas, nearly eight months after Hamas’ attack on Israel.

According to New York City’s Office of the Mayor, there have been nearly 2,800 protests across the city since Oct. 7, with almost 1,300 demonstrations related to the war in the Middle East.

This year’s parade carries an additional concern that scuffles that could erupt between protesters and spectators, either during the parade or as they disperse into the streets afterwards.

NYC Police Commissioner Edward Caban urged those attending this weekend’s parade to remain vigilant while at the event.

“The eyes and ears of New York play a vital role in protecting our city. So, if you see something that doesn’t feel right, please let a cop know,” Caban said.

New York has problems. The anti-Semitism in the city has been growing and festering, and has metastasized. It’s one thing to protest, but it is another to enact hostile takeovers of museums and be enough of a threat that an annual parade is now requiring extra security. But the biggest problem? Those who are arrested are never punished. New York’s “no bail” laws mean that these assholes just keep going through the revolving door of justice. And until someone in charge enforces the law, nothing will change. The DA is too busy inventing crimes for Donald Trump to actually press charges and prosecute protesters who are breaking the law. It takes nothing less than attempted murder to get the wheels of justice turning in New York, it seems. What will happen Sunday during the parade? Hopefully, the NYPD and the mayor are serious about keeping calm and order – but I have a feeling that some groups, who were already agitating on Friday, will be spoiling for a confrontation on Sunday.

Featured image: the Brooklyn Museum entrance by ajay_suresh on Flickr, cropped, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0 DEED)