Anti-Israel protesters block New York Times delivery trucks: 'Consent for genocide is manufactured here'
Anti-Israel protesters flooded a printing facility in New York City overnight, blocking trucks from collecting several media outlets' newspapers for morning delivery, including the New York Times, WABC reported.
According to law enforcement, a group of pro-Palestinian agitators gathered outside one of the nation's largest newspaper printing facilities around 1 a.m. on Thursday to create a blockade. The protesters prevented delivery trucks from accessing the building by standing in the road with their arms linked.
Video of the protest shared by WABC showed approximately a couple dozen activists obstructing one of the access roads to the Queens facility. The anti-Israel protesters carried signs reading, "Stop the presses," "Free Palestine," and "Will you write about this?"
The demonstrators placed rocks and office furniture on the roadway to further disrupt the delivery truck drivers. A large sign planted among the debris read, "Consent for genocide is manufactured here."
The roughly two-hour-long demonstration delayed the pickup and delivery of newspapers from several media outlets. The protesters dispersed around 3:30 a.m., and delivery trucks were once again able to access the building.
Police reported that no arrests were made.
The 300,000-square-foot facility also prints USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, Newsday, and the New York Post.
According to Hell Gate, the protest was organized by Writers Against the War on Gaza. Harry, an activist who participated in the demonstration, told Hell Gate's Nick Pinto, "We're trying to take the Times out of circulation for a day."
"People view it as this repository of objective knowledge, but it's actually at the forefront of manufacturing consent for this war. We want to challenge that, and create a vacuum where other things are possible," said Harry, who asked the news outlet to omit his full name.
The New York Times responded to the demonstration, releasing a statement Thursday morning that read, "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."
The newspaper outlet assured its readers that the protest caused only "minimal disruption" to its distribution.
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