Scores of activists converged on the New York Stock Exchange, protesting the intersection of US military support for Israel and arms profiteering. This protest was organized by Jewish Voices for Peace and they demanded a ceasefire in the Middle East. 206 protesters were detained while participating on Wall Street. Protesters wore shirts with messages stating “Jews say stop arming Israel.”
Protest at NYSE
On the morning of October 14, 2024, roughly 500 demonstrators gathered outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), conducting a sit-in organized by Jewish Voices for Peace. The protest aimed to highlight their demand for an immediate end to US military support for Israel amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon. Participants criticized this support, accentuating a broader issue regarding the profit motives intertwined with military engagements.
Protesters wore red shirts with slogans such as “Jews say stop arming Israel” and “Not in our name,” symbolizing their discontent with the ongoing policies. Chants like “Endless war, profits soar, arms embargo now!” filled the air, capturing the urgency and fervor of their demands for change in US foreign aid practices. Demonstrators called for an arms embargo and a ceasefire in the region.
HAPPENING NOW: Hundreds of protesters are outside the New York Stock Exchange right now calling out the role these companies play in funding Israel’s Genocide against Palestinians. pic.twitter.com/QQEoNG9Rhv
— Khalissee (@Kahlissee) December 28, 2023
Detentions and Reactions
The NYPD detained 206 protesters during this unsanctioned event, as many of them had chained themselves to fences surrounding the NYSE. Despite the protests, trading operations inside the Stock Exchange were not disrupted. However, access to the building was limited, and security established a fenced perimeter to manage the demonstrators gathered on Broad Street.
“As Gaza is bombed, Wall Street booms,” Jewish Voices for Peace stated in a post, citing the surge in stock prices of weapons manufacturers.
Protests were not limited to pro-Palestinian voices; counterprotesters appeared to advocate for Israel, further enlivening the atmosphere outside the NYSE with clashing slogans. The demonstrators’ efforts aligned with a broader outcry, as the protest coincided with the commemoration of the escalation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a year ago, igniting widespread emotions.
The $18 billion that the Biden administration spent on the Israeli military this year will be used to buy US weapons.
In other words: the US government and US weapons manufacturers are profiting off of the Israeli military's slaughter of Palestinians.
STOP ARMING ISRAEL NOW. https://t.co/GKJZfEFQP0
— Jewish Voice for Peace Action (@JvpAction) October 14, 2024
Broader Implications
This protest occurs against a backdrop of heightened military action in the region, with reports of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza and Lebanon. These developments align with the protesters’ concerns regarding the ethical considerations surrounding military support and arms profiteering, challenging assumptions about governmental and corporate roles in perpetuating conflict dynamics for monetary gain.
“The reason we’re here is to demand that the U.S. government stop sending bombs to Israel and stop profiting off of Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,” stated Beth Miller, political director of Jewish Voice for Peace, underscoring the movement’s moral imperatives.
The protest represents a push for legislative change, epitomized by Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s introduction of the Stop Politicians Profiting from War Act, aimed at prohibiting lawmakers from trading in defense stocks. The activists’ efforts signify a profound call to action, seeking to dissociate profit motives from international military disputes.
