On the anniversary of the beginning of the war in Kazakhstan, supporters of both sides compete, Huo Chu still supports and criticizes the student movement_1

On October 7, New Yorkers gathered for a significant pro-Palestinian march, marking one year since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war. Given that New York has one of the highest Jewish populations outside of Israel, the impact of the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict has been deeply felt within the city. The preceding day, October 6, saw various protests and memorial events across different locations, with both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups striving to make their voices heard. On that same date, flags were lowered in New York and New Jersey to honor those who have fallen in the conflict.

The largest pro-Palestinian demonstration began at 1 PM near Wall Street in Lower Manhattan. Participants marched past significant landmarks such as City Hall, Washington Square Park, Union Square, Grand Central Station, Times Square, and Columbus Circle, ultimately concluding their rally near Central Park.

Attendees proudly held aloft an enormous Palestinian flag, which stretched across the narrow streets of Manhattan. The sheer number of participants—initially around 2,000—necessitated temporary street closures by police, leading to substantial traffic disruptions along the route. Among the crowd were some ultra-Orthodox Jews opposed to Israel’s actions, alongside a small group of pro-Israel supporters adorned in Israeli flags.

That evening, Jewish organizations organized a candlelight vigil in Central Park to honor Israeli civilians killed in Hamas attacks and to remember those Israeli hostages still missing. Among those present was Governor Kathy Hochul, who addressed the gathering.

Concurrent with the protests, Columbia University, which had seen a surge in pro-Palestinian student activism earlier in the year, experienced demonstrations and memorial services from the early hours. Supporters from both sides occupied the campus, with some students responding to pro-Palestinian calls for a walkout, making their way to Central Park in the afternoon. Additionally, pro-Palestinian demonstrators vandalized buildings at the City University of New York (CUNY) with red paint.

Reflecting on the events of October 7, 2022, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on a music festival and various villages in Israeli-controlled areas, the repercussions of that day remain profound. The attacks resulted in 1,200 Israeli civilian deaths and hundreds taken hostage, prompting a year-long Israeli military response in Gaza that has claimed over 40,000 Palestinian lives.

Amidst these tensions, leftist Chinese student groups have voiced that Israel’s existence represents a form of colonialism, asserting that armed struggle is essential for “decolonization.” They argue that “resistance does not require legal or mutual recognition.” In contrast, Governor Hochul, an advocate for New York’s Jewish community, expressed her alarm over the rising anger and hate on campuses. “This is not something we should be witnessing,” she stated, further condemning pro-Palestinian slogans with genocidal implications, such as “from the river to the sea.” She warned that if discriminatory actions persist on university campuses, “the state will intervene.”