Pro-Palestine Protest Planned Along NYC Thanksgiving Parade Route

NEW YORK, NY - Two New York-based organizers behind recent Pro-Palestine demonstrations in Manhattan and Brooklyn are calling for a protest along the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade route in New York City on Thursday, Patch has learned.

In a series of social media posts, organizers Within Our Lifetime Palestine and Decolonize This Place told protesters to “show up along the parade route with Palestine flags and signs” and meet at Madison Square Park at 11 a.m. on Thursday.

“Join us in support of Gaza, ALL of Palestine, and ALL indigenous people resisting everywhere,” the protest organizers wrote in a joint statement on Instagram.

“As Amerikkka celebrates its genocidal history of the horrors perpetrated against the indigenous people on turtle island, we remind the world that genocide is as American as apple pie. This history continues to this day as we watch the U.S.A orchestrate one of the most horrific genocides being carried out in our time. Payed [sic] for by our tax dollars with the support of our representatives.”

In a Wednesday afternoon statement, Mayor Eric Adams noted the city is on “heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday" following Wednesday's explosion at the Rainbow Bridge in Buffalo. The explosion prompted “increased security” at locations across the city, including city entry and exit points, Adams said.

At a press conference Wednesday evening, NYPD Commissioner Edward A. Caban said the agency has "been on high alert since Oct. 7," adding there will be heightened security measures at the annual parade.

Uniformed officers are scheduled to be patrolling on and around parade routes, Caban said; there will also be "other measures that you won't see."

"We're not going to tolerate any disruption," Adams said, responding to a reporter question about planned protests during the parade. "We are prepared to deal with a multitude of things ... in coordination with other city agencies."

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade starts at 8:30 a.m. Thursday. The procession will kick off at 77th Street and Central Park West, make its way down the avenue until Columbus Circle, and then continue downtown on 6th Avenue, before ending at the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.

You can check out the full route here, which will also tell you where public viewing is allowed and where it isn’t.

You can view parade details, including the street closures slated to affect travel around Manhattan, here.