Hundreds of protesters gathered at Grand Army Plaza in Park Slope on Aug. 3 to for the “Families Stand Up for Gaza” rally calling for for an immediate opening of humanitarian corridors, a U.S. arms embargo on Israel, and an end to American military aid — part of growing pressure from progressive groups amid the war in Gaza.
After the rally, more than a dozen protesters — including New York State Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes — were arrested by NYPD officers for blocking traffic with banners in a coordinated act of civil disobedience.
The rally was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace-NYC, UAW Region 9A, the New York City Democratic Socialists of America, and Brooklyn Families for Palestine. It took place a block from the residence of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Prospect Park West. Protesters called on Schumer and fellow lawmakers — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Dan Goldman — to end their support for Israel.
On July 30, Schumer and Gillibrand voted against a proposal from Sen. Bernie Sanders to block the sale of U.S. bombs and firearms to Israel — though a majority of Senate Democrats backed the measure. Both senators cited Israel’s right to self-defense and the need to maintain pressure on Hamas to release hostages as reasons for opposing the proposal.
State sen. Jabari Brisport noted the contrast between the rally in Brooklyn and the crisis in Gaza, noting that many families with young children were able to enjoy a “beautiful” summer day.
“But thousands of miles away in Gaza, the children are not so lucky,” Brisport said. “In Gaza, the children don’t know where their next meal is going to come from. Their schools have been destroyed, their homes leveled, their hospitals erased.”
Brisport criticized Schumer, Gillibrand, and Jeffries for “gleefully signing off on billions of dollars of weapons of war and destruction.”
“We watched you do this for nearly the past two years,” Brisport said. “But I want you to notice all the new voices that are coming out to say that the starvation that is happening in Gaza is immoral, is unjust, is horrific, and must be stopped.”
Mitaynes said that remaining silent was equivalent to complicity.
“I refuse to be complicit,” Mitaynes stated. “The people of Gaza are not dying because this world doesn’t know. They are dying because of political leaders, including Democratic leadership here in New York.”
Former congress member Jamaal Bowman also condemned Schumer and Gillibrand’s rejection of Sanders’ proposal, questioning their “moral leadership.”
“How do you vote against Senator Sanders’ bill to stop weapons from going into Israel at the same time as you watch children starving to death right in front of you?” Bowman asked. “We are at an inflection point in human history. What we do now will determine what happens for generations to come.”
Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led terror attack that killed about 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in the abduction of more than 200 hostages. According to Israeli officials, 50 hostages remain in Gaza, only 20 of whom are believed to be alive — among them Israeli hostage Evyatar David.
On Aug. 2, Hamas released a video showing David emaciated and digging a hole he said was intended to be his own grave. France, Canada, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. expressed outrage in response. According to Reuters, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the United Nations Security Council will hold a special session Tuesday morning to address the hostage crisis in Gaza.
In an address on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the video convinced him that Hamas does not want a deal.
“They want to break us through these horrific videos, through the false horror propaganda it spreads around the world. But we will not break,” Netanyahu said, according to the Jerusalem Post. “I am filled with even stronger determination to free our kidnapped sons, to eliminate Hamas, and to ensure that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to the State of Israel.”
Meanwhile, Israeli strikes killed 33 aid-seekers in Gaza on Aug. 3, according to local health authorities. Israel has denied targeting civilians at aid sites, claiming that soldiers fired warning shots to maintain order around distribution centers run by a U.S.- and Israel-backed private organization. Israeli officials have acknowledged the severe humanitarian challenges in Gaza but say their military operations aim to neutralize Hamas’s capabilities and protect Israeli civilians from ongoing rocket attacks.
International organizations such as the United Nations have repeatedly called for unhindered access to food, water, and medical supplies for Gaza’s civilians, emphasizing the urgent need to balance humanitarian relief with security concerns.
Eon Huntley, a member of DSA, said he and others were emotionally overwhelmed by the ongoing crisis.
“All of us out here are really, really just broken up where we can’t even sometimes go a day without crying and losing it just because of what we’re seeing and what our government is doing to the Palestinian people right now,” Huntley said.
Gloria Mattera, co-chair of the Green Party of New York, attended Sunday’s rally to protest the starvation of children in Gaza, the Israeli occupation, and U.S. funding of the Israeli government.
“Schumer, Gillibrand, Jeffries, and Goldman, they all need to be voted out,” Mattera said. “In terms of what needs to be done immediately, people need to be given food, water, and medical attention, because at this point, the starvation is pretty serious. But the real solution is that Israel as an occupying force must end.”
A spokesperson for Schumer’s office referred Brooklyn Paper to a letter that 40 Democratic senators — including Schumer and Gillibrand — sent to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steven Witkoff on July 29.
In the letter, the senators called for renewed ceasefire talks, the release of Israeli hostages, opposition to the displacement of Palestinians, and an end to Hamas rule in Gaza. They also advocated for expanded humanitarian aid delivered through trusted organizations.
“With recent efforts to secure a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas being unsuccessful, the situation in Gaza remains perilous. Efforts to secure an agreement are as critical and urgent as ever and we urge the resumption of good-faith talks as quickly as possible. While we appreciate that additional aid is beginning to enter Gaza, the humanitarian situation remains dire,” the letter reads. “Yet there still remains a viable pathway to end this war, bring home Israeli hostages, and achieve a diplomatic resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.”
In a statement, Congressman Dan Goldman said that the humanitarian crisis, due to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to restrict humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, leading to unacceptable mass starvation of Palestinian civilians, “shocked the conscience.”
“For the sake of the people of Israel and Gaza – including the hostages remaining in subhuman conditions in tunnels in Gaza – the international community must unite to bring an end to this war, release the hostages, and flood Gaza with aid,” Goldman.
Goldman also described the recent actions by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu -including firing the attorney general overseeing his corruption case, removing a party member who opposed an “unpopular plan” and announcing a potential occupation of Gaza- as “especially disturbing.”
“It is clear that Prime Minister Netanyahu’s personal and political interests are guiding Israel’s actions, rather than what is best for the Israeli people or for the nation of Israel. He is beholden to the extreme right, whose support he needs to remain in power, which, in turn, is helpful to defend against his corruption case,” Goldman said. “Fundamentally, Prime Minister Netanyahu must stop putting his own personal interests ahead of the state of Israel’s. The sacredness of human life and Israel’s sacrosanct place as a democracy and safe haven for the Jewish people are simply too important to be sacrificed on the altar of political self-interest.”
Update 8/7/25 12 p.m.: This story has been updated with comment from U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman
