More than 40 arrested at protest against Gaza war at Trump hotel in NY
5 Min Read
More than 40 protesters were arrested outside the Trump International Hotel in New York during a Jewish-led demonstration organized by IfNotNow against the war on Gaza.
-
At Trump Tower, dozens of Jewish protesters are being arrested at Trump Tower, as they call to “let Gaza live” and chant “nation shall not lift sword against nation” on August 4, 2025. (Social media)
More than 40 people were arrested Monday evening outside the Trump International Hotel in New York City during a protest against the war and worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The demonstration, organized by IfNotNow, a Jewish-American anti-occupation group, began earlier at Columbus Circle, gathering hundreds under the banner: "Trump: Jews Say No More."
The protest called for an immediate end to the war on Gaza, demanding that the US government pressure "Israel" to allow humanitarian aid into the territory, where health officials continue to report deaths caused by starvation and malnutrition.
"Let’s not mince words, the Israeli government’s blockade of Gaza is a policy of ethnic cleansing by way of forced mass starvation," said Morriah Kaplan, interim executive director of IfNotNow.
"Let Gaza Live!"
— Caleb T. Maupin (@RealCalebMaupin) August 5, 2025
Mass arrests of Jewish activists outside Trump International Hotel near Columbus Circle, NYC.
Watch my report! pic.twitter.com/OhBlcEzbD0
"It is an unbearable, unspeakable, unfathomable affront to our shared humanity and those who are carrying it out and are deploying our Jewish symbols, language, and traditions to defend and justify it," she added. "Which is why I’m heartened to see such a range of Jews and Jewish organizations coming together today to say with one voice that we oppose these atrocities, not in spite of our Judaism, but for many of us, because of it."
Kaplan called on the US government to use its influence to halt the ongoing attacks, adding, "We need the US government to use its considerable leverage to end these horrors," she said.
Arrests follow demonstration at Trump International Hotel
Additionally, protesters held signs reading "stop ethnic cleansing," "never again is now," "stop starving Gaza," and "not in our name." Speakers included Ruth Messinger, T’ruah CEO Rabbi Jill Jacobs, and Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller.
"Yesterday was the Jewish holiday of Tisha B’Av in which Jews mourn the destruction of the people of Israel," Lander said. "And what we’re witnessing right now is destruction caused by the State of Israel."
He continued, "But to witness forced mass starvation, emaciated children and starving of families, on top of all the bombing and destruction and displacement, it is necessary for Jews to cry out louder, to do more organizing to make sure that we stop sending offensive weapons and bombs and guns... We demand an end to what Israel is doing in Gaza. That’s why we’re here tonight."
HAPPENING NOW: Dozens of Jewish New Yorkers including Rabbis are getting arrested outside Trump International Hotel saying JEWS SAY NO MORE and LET GAZA LIVE. pic.twitter.com/LqetRKbG0W
— Jason Rosenberg (@mynameisjro) August 5, 2025
Lily Greenberg Call, a former special assistant to the chief of staff at the US Department of the Interior, also attended the protest. She had publicly resigned from her position in May 2024 over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza.
"Let Gaza Live!"
— Caleb T. Maupin (@RealCalebMaupin) August 5, 2025
Mass arrests of Jewish activists outside Trump International Hotel near Columbus Circle, NYC.
Watch my report! pic.twitter.com/OhBlcEzbD0
"I was the first, and unfortunately the only Jewish official to publicly resign in protest of the administration’s unconditional support for Israel during the war in Gaza," Greenberg Call told The Guardian. She said she noticed new faces joining the movement. "There is something shifting," she remarked.
"Showing up is really important, and our role as Americans, especially our government and our tax dollars, are funding this. We have an obligation, specifically as American Jews, to stand up against what’s happening in our name."
NYPD response and aftermath
Moreover, at around 8:00 pm local time, protesters marched to the Trump International Hotel, where they sat in the street chanting and singing. About 15 minutes later, New York Police Department officers began arresting demonstrators for blocking the street.
By 9:00 pm, at least 40 people had been arrested, according to The Guardian. Detainees were taken away in police vans as the remaining crowd dispersed.
In a press release issued after the arrests, IfNotNow described the action as "the broadest tent coalition in the Jewish community against the atrocities in Gaza in the last two years," claiming to represent the majority of US Jews outraged by the actions of the Israeli government.
Israeli protesters block Tel Aviv highway over Gaza captives crisis
On a related note, two days ago on Sunday, dozens of demonstrators blocked traffic on the Ayalon Highway in Tel Aviv, demanding the urgent release of captives held in Gaza after the Resistance published footage of two emaciated Israeli captives, drawing alarm and reigniting public pressure on the Israeli government.
The protest, organized by the Women’s Protest group and joined by relatives of previously released captives, unfolded on the Jewish day of mourning, Tisha B’Av. The symbolism was deliberate: banners read “Abandonment of the hostages = destruction of the Third Temple,” and chants of “Why are they still in Gaza?” echoed across the highway. Others carried signs in English, such as “Never again is now” and "Everyone in a deal. Get out of Gaza."
Among the demonstrators were Shai Mozes and Meor Rosenberg, relatives of the returned captives Gadi Mozes and Arbel Yehoud. The protest lasted around 20 minutes, according to Haaretz, before police cleared the highway.
