Hundreds of people participated in a rally and march in support of the Palestinians on 42nd street in Manhattan in New York on May 11, 2021. Photo: Lev Radin/Sipa USA.

i24 News – With Israel under fire from Hamas rocket attacks and Arab rioting causing mayhem in many cities, thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters took to the streets of New York City Tuesday to demonstrate against the Jewish state, clashing with a smaller contingent of Israel supporters near the country’s consulate in Manhattan.

The demonstration, dubbed “Emergency Rally for Palestine,” featured a promotional flyer stating the meeting place as the Israeli Consulate but with Israel crossed out and also included the slogan often chanted at pro-Palestinian protests, “from the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine will be free.”

Internal security reportedly ordered consulate staff to leave for home early because of safety concerns.

New York City police officers were forced to separate the two sides as tensions threatened to boil over.

Video uploaded to social media showed a fractious scene between the two groups, with footage showing a pro-Palestinian demonstrator breaking through a barricade to physically assault a pro-Israel protester, with bystanders getting caught up in the scuffle and falling to the sidewalk.

As the demonstrators marched down 42nd Street in midtown Manhattan, they could be heard chanting “from New York to Gaza, mobilize the intifada.”