As Pride month ended, the New York Pride parade was interrupted by far-left anti-Israel protesters who stormed through and obstructed the route, vandalizing floats with paint or burning them down completely.
A group of anti-Israel conspirators posted a video on social media sitting in the street with signs and screaming, “Free Palestine” and other outrageous slogans while trying to provoke passersby.
Sandra Pérez, executive director of NYC Pride, told the Associated Press that it is “certainly a more active presence this year in terms of protest at Pride events. But we were born out of a protest.”
In another recording, anti-Israel demonstrators are seen ripping apart floats and vehicles at the parade — vandalizing even a truck packed with an LGBTQ pride group.
“The Palestinian protesters in New York are making it clear they don’t want the support of the LGBTQ community,” one user commented on X.
“When the left eats itself it is always enjoyable,” another user wrote.
Anti-Israel protesters became involved in brawls as the protests continued through the night. Other reports say there were a few protesters who climbed the barricade wall and threw fake blood. Police handcuffed and placed dozens of protesters in plastic zip-tie restraints.
New York’s theme this year for the Pride parade was “reflect, empower, unite,” according to the NYC Pride website. The original pride march took place in New York City in 1970 to mark the first anniversary of an uprising at Stonewall Inn, a gay bar on Manhattan’s West Side.
About a dozen anti-Boeing and anti-Israel protesters were chained together as they blocked Market Street, delaying the 40th annual St. Louis Pride parade on Sunday, June 30. The parade quickly came to a halt, but law enforcement swooped in and had the protesters removed.
“Protesters refuse to leave the street despite numerous orders to disperse. Protesters will be arrested,” St. Louis Police wrote in a post on X.
The so-called death-to-Israel protesting continued as video footage circulated online setting a group over individuals in the middle of the roadway yelling about how Palestine will live forever and calling for Israel’s destruction.
Boston and Denver Pride parades also had a presence of anti-Israel protesters, with a trio of hostile protesters being arrested in Boston. The Denver Pride parade was taken over by more than 100 anti-Israel agitators.
In a statement from earlier this month, the FBI said: “The FBI and DHS are issuing this Public Service Announcement to provide awareness to the public of foreign terrorist organizations (FTOS) or their supporters potential targeting of LGBTQIA+-related events and venues. Foreign terrorist organizations or supporters may seek to exploit increased gatherings associated with the upcoming June 2024 Pride Month.”
The PSA also referenced the June 2023 attempted ISIS attack on a Pride parade in Vienna, Austria. It also reflected upon the fact that June 2024 would be eight years since the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, Florida.
Thousands of spectators lined up along Market Street on Sunday for one of the world’s largest Pride celebrations in San Francisco.
Both are in larger cities, as Minneapolis and Seattle also threw closing Pride parades to celebrate the end of their month-long festivities. It was the 50th year of pride celebrations in Seattle, with over 300K people expected to attend.