Police in New York have arrested a number of pro-Palestinian protestors who attempted to obstruct the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route right before the Ronald McDonald float. The 98th annual parade, which is aired nationwide, is part of America’s Thanksgiving holiday tradition, and features huge balloons depicting cartoon characters, marching bands, and live performances by popular music performers. Thousands of people lined the streets of Manhattan to watch. “The demonstrators were taken into custody without incident,” the New York Police Department stated. According to the NYPD, the number of inmates was unknown, and charges were still pending.

A line of about 20 protesters sat in the street under a steady rain, while others behind them held up banners reading “Don’t celebrate genocide” and “Arms embargo now!” as a smiling Ronald McDonald floated overhead, according to Reuters photos. According to a Reuters witness, police officers on the site initially asked the demonstrators to leave without intervening. Then a team of bicycle-mounted officers arrived, battling with the demonstrators and transporting them away. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, who was sworn in on Monday, told NBC Television ahead of the procession that police were not expecting protests but were prepared. “We have a lot of resources out there. We have both visible and invisible resources. We have our canines. We have plenty of resources available. We have both visible and invisible resources. We have our canines and our drones. “We have a full complement of security for the parade,” Tisch added. The marchers were denouncing Israel’s prosecution of the Gaza war, which began on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian gunmen from Hamas assaulted Israel, killing 1200 and seizing approximately 250 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. According to the local health ministry, Israel’s following assault on the Hamas-controlled enclave of Gaza has killed over 44,000 Palestinians, displaced the majority of the 2.3 million people, caused famine, and resulted in genocide claims at the World Court, which Israel rejects.