NYC police detain 29 in pro-Palestinian protests at Brooklyn Museum

NEW YORK — New York City police said on Saturday (June 1) they had taken into custody more than two dozen people in connection with Friday's pro-Palestinian protests at the Brooklyn Museum.

Six of the 29 individuals were arrested and charged with offences including assault and criminal trespassing, while 16 people were released with orders to appear in court and another seven were issued summonses and released, a New York City Police Department spokesperson said in an emailed statement.

On Friday, pro-Palestinian protesters took over parts of the art museum in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, hanging a banner above the main entrance, occupying much of the lobby and scuffling with police, according to witnesses.

The museum said it closed an hour early because of the disruption, including skirmishes between police and protesters that took place inside and outside the building.

"There was damage to existing and newly installed artwork on our plaza," a museum spokesperson said in an email. "Protesters entered the building, and our public safety staff were physically and verbally harassed.

Hundreds of demonstrators were marching through Brooklyn when some of them rushed the entrance, according to a Reuters witness. Security guards prevented many from entering but some managed to get inside.

A banner was hung from atop the neoclassical facade proclaiming, "Free Palestine, Divest From Genocide."

A pro-Palestinian organisation named Within Our Lifetime urged demonstrators to "flood Brooklyn Museum for Gaza". It said activists occupied the museum to compel it to disclose any Israel-related investments and to divest any such funding.

Demonstrations against Israel's war in Gaza have continued in the US, largely on university campuses.

On Saturday, hundreds of students and faculty walked out of the University of Chicago's graduation ceremony, the Chicago Tribune reported.

ALSO READ: Pro-Palestinian protesters occupy parts of Brooklyn Museum