Crime & Safety
DOJ To Investigate UES Protest, Official Says
The pro-Palestinian protest was in response to an event selling real estate in Israel and the West Bank.
UPPER EAST SIDE, NY — The Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division will investigate Tuesday night's pro-Palestinian protest on the Upper East Side, officials confirmed.
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights at the U.S. Department of Justice, said on X (formerly Twitter) that the department would investigate the protest, which she called "disturbing."
The protest, organized by PAL-AWDA, unfolded in response to an event at Park East Synagogue selling real estate in settlements in the West Bank, which is considered illegal under international law, on East 67th Street between Third Avenue and Lexington Avenue.
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The pro-Palestinian protestors demonstrated at East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue in front of Hunter College, before heading down Lexington Avenue and turning onto East 66th Street.
The protestors attempted to breach the vast network of barricades keeping the streets clear at East 67th Street and Lexington Avenue, at which point police fired pepper spray into the crowd, hitting a few protestors and a reporter.
Find out what's happening in Upper East Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
No arrests were made following the protest.
The DOJ has not yet responded to a request for comment.
For questions, email Miranda.Levingston@Patch.com.
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