Dramatic video has shown pro-Palestinian protesters storming a New York City store on one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
The footage showed dozens of protesters bursting into the Zara store on Fifth Avenue as police officers rushed to get them out.
The demonstrators were chanting: ‘They fund the genocide, Free Palestine!’ as stunned shoppers searching for Black Friday bargains looked on.
One protester was seen wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh scarf, a traditional Arab headdress that has become a symbol of Palestinian advocacy.
The protester also waved a Palestinian flag through the packed retail store, as others blew whistles and another blasted Zara as ‘a genocidal company.’
The New York Police Department confirmed to Daily Mail that a 29-year-old man was arrested for trespassing, and three individuals were issued criminal summonses.
Protesters continued demonstrations into the early evening, marching down Fifth Avenue with signs, drums, and flags.
‘While you’re shopping, bombs are dropping,’ protesters chanted down the popular shopping avenue.
Protesters were seen waving Palestinian flags down Fifth Avenue as some demonstrators stormed inside Zara
Protesters accused Zara of being a ‘genocidal company’ and urged shoppers not to purchase from the brand
The demonstration resulted in one arrest, and the NYPD confirmed that over 70 protesters arrived to urge a boycott on the biggest shopping day of the year
‘No ICE. No KKK. No fascist USA,’ another group chanted.
One sign read, ‘Free Palestine, Save Gaza,’ while another urged onlookers to ‘Think before you buy.’
Another large orange sign read: ‘Israel is killing children!’
Protesters marched with drums, flags, and chanted to free the war-torn region from bombs.
Demonstrators also gathered in front of the Microsoft store, chanting: ‘Microsoft you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.’
‘We will not be complicit in the exploitation of our neighbors, including children,’ another chanted.
Most onlookers continued their shopping trips, but one furious man screamed at the protesters for being ‘pieces of s***.’
‘F*** you, you piece of s****s,’ he yelled as one protester filmed.
The demonstrators used signs and chants to urge boycotts of major retail brands in support of Palestine
Protesters blew whistles and chanted ‘Free Palestine’ as officers were heard instructing the demonstrators to leave the store
Another onlooker in a long brown coat told the demonstrators to ‘F*** off’ and stormed across the street.
The protesters also demonstrated in front of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue, across the street from Central Park.
A sidewalk vendor told the New York Daily News that she witnessed three people getting handcuffed by police during the protest.
‘Anytime I ever see protests coming down the Fifth Ave., everybody’s usually pretty decent. This was the first time I’ve ever seen any arrests,’ she said.
‘They had drums, almost like a little band. They were playing music,’ she added.
‘And then something happened. Somebody started pushing. Cops were telling them they weren’t allowed on the property.’
The Palestinian BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) National Committee called for a boycott of Zara products over the summer, accusing the major retailer of economic ties with Israel.
The committee cited Zara’s decision to expand business into Tel Aviv by opening a store there at the start of the year.
Officers with the New York City Police Department broke up the protest and attempted to escort demonstrators out of Zara
One protester was seen wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh scarf, a traditional Arab headdress that has become a symbol for Palestinian advocacy
Protesters barged into the store with Palestinian flags as shoppers watched on in confusion
Zara previously came under fire when one of the brand’s designers, Vanessa Perilman (left) was accused of making offensive comments to Palestinian model Qaher Harhash (right)
They also pointed to a controversy in 2021 when the brand’s head designer, Vanessa Perilman, made anti-Palestinian remarks to a Palestinian model named Qaher Harhash online.
‘Maybe if your people were educated then they wouldn’t blow up the hospitals and schools that Israel helped to pay for in Gaza,’ Perilman said to Harhash in a direct message on Instagram.
The company condemned Perliman’s comments, issuing a statement at the time that read: ‘Zara is a diverse company and we shall never tolerate discrimination of any kind.’
‘We condemn these comments that do not reflect our core values of respect for one another, and we regret the offense that they have caused.’
Zara also came under fire in 2022 after it was reported that chairman Joey Schwebel hosted a campaign event with far-right politician Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Microsoft faced backlash in August when a media investigation by the Guardian, +927 Magazine, and Local Call reported that an Israeli military intelligence unit was using the company’s cloud services to store telephone communications of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
Microsoft then announced in September that specific Israeli military subscriptions and services were disabled.
Human Rights Watch wrote an open letter to Microsoft, calling on the company to re-examine its contracts with the Israeli military and other government authorities.
The Palestinian BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) National Committee called for a boycott of Zara products over the summer (file photo)
Microsoft came under fire in August when a media investigation revealed an Israeli military intelligence unit was using the company’s cloud services to store telephone communications of Palestinians (file photo)
‘Microsoft will continue to be a company guided by principles and ethics. We will hold every decision, statement, and action to this standard. This is non-negotiable,’ Brad Smith, Vice Chair & President of Microsoft, wrote in response to The Guardian’s reporting.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Zara, Microsoft, and Apple for comment on Friday’s protests.
