Protesters arrested outside New York Times building hours after printing plant demonstration
MIDTOWN, Manhattan (WABC) -- Hours after pro-Palestinian protesters swarmed the New York Times printing facility in Queens, more than 100 demonstrators were arrested outside the newspaper's headquarters in Midtown.
Approximately 150 people flooded the lobby of the Times building in Midtown on Thursday morning around 10 a.m.
Police say 124 people were taken into custody. Most will likely receive summonses for disorderly conduct.
Those who weren't arrested were standing outside the building and chanting, claiming the newspaper's coverage of the Israel Hamas War was resulting in deaths in Gaza. They also handed out fake copies of the Times to people walking by.
It came hours after protesters prevented trucks from accessing the Times' 300,000-square-foot printing facility in College Point, Queens, by blocking the roads with debris around 1 a.m.
Many laid down in a chain, connecting to each other with tubes. They held signs that read, "Stop the presses. Free Palestine" and "Consent for genocide is manufactured here."
They also created a pile of rubble with office equipment to further block access.
The action stopped dozens of trucks from picking up newspapers, creating gridlock on nearby streets. The protesters refused to disperse for about two hours before clearing the way at around 3:30 a.m.
The facility is responsible for printing the New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Newsday, and the New York Post. There are 27 printing facilities across the country.
The Times said in a statement that readers should expect "minimal disruption" from the protest"
"The Israel-Hamas war is a complex and challenging story, and we receive criticism from each side. We are open to good-faith disagreement but firmly reject any assertion that our coverage displays bias. We support the rights for groups and individuals to express their point of view, even when we disagree with it as it relates to our coverage, but will not let critics or advocacy campaigns sway us from independent reporting."
Also on Thursday morning, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer delivered a scathing speech on the Senate floor, calling for a new election in Israel. Schumer, who is the highest-ranking elected Jewish official in the country, says Israelis should decide the future of the government based on current events and the state of the war.
He also called for the Palestinian leader to step aside.
ALSO WATCH | Pro-Palestinian protesters block New York Times printing facility:
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