Saturday in Times Square: Gaza

The 7 train stopped at Fifth Avenue, on Jan. 3, and the transfer tunnel to the train to Times Square was closed, about 1:30, with yellow ribbon and four police persons. The exit was crowded, but in fact, most travelers this Saturday were shoppers headed towards Fifth Avenue, the after New Year's sales still going on. At the Northeast corner of 42d & 7th, a yellow school bus was unloading preteen and teen students under the guidance of a young adult in a white shirt and a beard. The temperature was about 37F and the students and I were wrapped in layers of winter clothing. The kids were silent and murmuring. They carried signs like "Israel hands off Gaza" and Palestinian flags. The young adult directed them West across then South across, down two blocks, then East across to the end of the line. The demonstration was on the sidewalk behind metal police barriers. The packed crowd extended along Broadway from Times Square South two blocks. TV said they had bussed in 12,000.

I turned at 42d & 7th North where I saw the police horses standing. In the middle of the street at the dividing island a Police Command Center trailer was parked. I went West across at 43d then South opposite the permanent police box on the island, with its great signage, NYPD and "Welcome to Times Square." Across 42d, opposite the head of the crowd on the other side, there was a competing Israeli demonstration. It was dispirited, I think the crowd was mainly looking at the opposite side, which was tightly packed, liberally decorated with flags and well-designed vertical posters so that many were close together. The word "genocide" was common, the signage was on different colored poster paper and often printed; very impressive, costly. There were a few Israeli organizers in yellow winter nylon jackets with the Star of David and an organization name, but greatly numbered by "NYPD Community Affairs" light blue winter jackets. I took a video of one and another shooed me on. The first was too fat to be a regular police person and the second too short. They must have been auxiliary volunteers.

The crowd was harangued and chants led from a platform with speakers, "Long Live Palestine" was well received.

Normally, you get competing local TV vans, with bright signage and tall retractable antennae. But there was only one without a dish around the corner. Normally, the cameras routinely use a spotlight and carry colorful logos. Not here, no light, no logos except on the mikes of the interviewing reporters. The reporters I saw wore sport/tweed jackets (see temperature) whereas usually, they wear distinctively/competitively colored windbreakers with logos.

I went South and East across, say, 40th, below the crowd, over a block and North towards 42d. On a divider in the middle of the street there was a small African costumed group carrying an African nationalist flag and signs reading the standard "Israel hands off Gaza." But handmade and forlorn.

As I walked back towards the subway, the shopping public soon was louder than the crowd chants fading behind me. Big City.