>> Good evening and welcome to the special edition of MetroFocus.
Thousands of protesters across the globe took to the streets to show their support for Palestine and Israel.
>> Free Palestine!
Jack: The NYPD was out in full force.
Tensions were high.
There were no reported acts of violence in New York City.
Stephen Viggo, a reporter for the New York Post was in the heart of New York's protests and counter protests.
He joins us to tell us what he saw.
Thanks so much for joining us.
>> Think so much for having me.
Jack: Let's set the stage for this a bit.
I'm sure people have been following all of this.
There was heightened concern on Friday because of the declaration that has been made -- had been made from a former representative of Hamas.
>> So, a former leader of Hamas, he declared Friday to be a day of rage.
He wanted Palestine supporters to hit the street and support and express rage.
The NYPD heighten their security and they were out in full force all across the city.
But, especially so around Times Square and synagogues, and anywhere there was a protest.
Jack: So, when we get to Times Square in a moment.
In light of that, where there any indications by public officials of any real hard intelligence suggesting the distinct probability of violence in New York City?
Steven: It did not seem like there was going to be and the incidents.
But they were just doing it for security and safety.
Jack: Let's start off and talk about what went on in Times Square.
Set the scene.
Steven: Sure.
Thousands of people came out to support Palestine.
It first started with a few hundred marching from Farouk.
By the time I got there at around 3 p.m., the crowd swelled to thousands.
The pro-Palestine side was between 40th to 42nd Street.
Thousands and thousands of them in the streets.
The pro-Israel side, they were just in one pen.
There were about 150 of them.
Both sides were screaming at each other.
But the cops had it all under control.
They were all surrounded by barricades, all the supporters were surrounded.
In time -- anytime one protester crossed to the other side, the police separated them.
It was kind of like a game of cat and mouse, with the police chasing them.
So, there was not much mayhem from what I saw.
Jack: Were there speakers?
Let's start with the pro-Palestine side, where their actual speakers, or was it a collection of folks protesting?
Steven: It was a combination of speakers and thousands of people protesting.
I focused more on speaking to the individual people at the protest.
So, there was one woman I talked to.
She has friends in Palestine.
She wanted the end of Israel's occupation, as she said.
She also said it is fine if people want to apologize for what Hamas did.
If there apologizing for what Hamas did, then people should also apologize for Israel.
That was one of her arguments.
Jack: Did you hear anybody offering up approval of what Hamas had done.
We have seen in some protests around the globe that there was applause when mentioned of the Hamas attack's?
Did you come across any of that in your conversations?
Steven: From what I saw, there was nobody who came across as a Hamas supporter.
They were more pro-Palestine and they wanted Israel out of the area.
Jack: It wasn't a protest where there were demands of the extermination of the state of Israel, at least from what you heard?
Steven: Some people wanted -- well, I saw people towards the end of the protest, like this, I would argue yes they want the extermination of the state of Israel.
Jack: was not visible?
The act of lighting fire to the flag, was not visible to the pro-Israeli folks?
Steven: This was at night.
Yet the keep in mind that this is Friday night -- you have to keep in mind that this is Friday night.
That is probably why there were so many rally supporters, it was Friday night.
This was when they marched to the U.N., this was towards the end of the protest.
There was no Israeli supporters at this point.
The crowd was leaving.
And a handful of supporters lit Israeli flag on fire.
Jack: Let's go back to Times Square.
In terms of the Israeli protesters, what was going on there?
Steven: They were yelling shame, shame.
Hamas is Isis, out them.
This one woman I spoke to, a lawyer, her parents are Holocaust survivors.
She was saying what Hamas did, their attack over the weekend, was reminiscent of the Holocaust .
She has two sisters in Israel.
She's worried that there will be more violence towards Jews.
Jack: I mentioned in the introduction that there were protests that took place in Brooklyn, what did you learn about your reporting that took place there?
Steven: After the protest in Manhattan, I believe it might've been moments after that protest ended, they protested outside of Chuck Schumer's Park slope home, and police arrested dozens of them including lawmakers.
But that protest was actually led by a Jewish organization I believe.
Jack: When you say protests led by Jewish organization, do we know what the organization was, and what the point of the protests in front of Senator Schumer's home, what the point was?
Steven: The point was they are concerned about Israel committing possible genocide.
They want -- Chuck Schumer was going Israel -- they wanted him not to support the war.
Jack: What about during the course of the weekend?
What else have you learned about what is taking place in New York City with regard to any other protests in the city or any of the boroughs in Manhattan?
Steven: Over the weekend on Saturday, it rained, there were no protests.
There were some protests outside of the city.
Both on Sunday.
But I believe they were all peaceful.
Jack: There was also a report about a Republican member of the city Council being arrested Friday.
The charges had to do with carrying a firearm.
Apparently it was a licensed firearm, she was licensed to carry.
But in New York, it is a concealed carry, as opposed to an open carry.
Can you fill us in on any of the details surrounding that?
Steven: Sure, she showed up to a protest with a gun visible in her waistband.
I believe images of it spread on social media.
Then the next day she showed up at the present and got a desk appearance ticket.
You're not supposed to show up to a school with a gun.
Jack: Right.
Do we know why she was there, what position she was supporting, and what her explanation, if there has been any, about the presence of the weapon?
Steven: She is on the pro-Israel side.
I believe she might have said she brought it for protection for safety because she was scared.
But I not entirely sure she has made a statement -- I am not entirely sure she has made a statement.
Jack: I mentioned there was not any reports of actual violence.
Certainly agitated confrontation, that is a term that may fit what was happening.
What about arrests being made?
What have you learned?
Steven: Sure.
In midtown, there were two arrests at the college.
The cops told me that the protesters got into each other's faces and started jumping one another.
It was two arrests.
One pro-Palestine, one pro-Israel supporter.
A few hours later, police arrested a woman who was trying to trip and kick cops.
They said at the time she was resisting arrest.
Jack: So, last question for you.
I've got about a minute and a half left.
Based on what you have been seeing and hearing, what would you anticipate we might be seeing and hearing in New York City, the surrounding environment over the next few days, anymore protests?
Steven: I would expect there to be more protests, as Israel continues to enter into Gaza, as the war rages on.
I was surprised with the amount of pro-Palestine supporters.
I feel like that's probably going to continue in the city.
But, it will be interesting to see if on the other side they come out in equal numbers.
Like I said, Friday, I believe the numbers of pro-Israel were smaller because it was only hours away from the services.
Jack: it may be different the next few days.
Steven Vago, from the New York Post, you have done wonderful reporting.
We thank you for joining us to help us understand this.
Perhaps we will get you back and talk more as this continues.
You take care.
Steven: Thanks so much.