VIDEOS & PHOTOS - Thousands gather in New York for “Stop Starving Gaza” march

Thousands of demonstrators gathered at the steps of the New York Public Library on Saturday, August 16, for an "Emergency Mass March" to protest what organizers called a "US-funded, Israeli famine" in the Gaza Strip.

The event was billed as the "first mass demonstration in the US focused on Israeli-imposed starvation" in Gaza, with organizers expecting "tens of thousands" of participants, some of whom traveled by bus from other cities.

The protest, organized by a coalition that included The People's Forum, the ANSWER Coalition, and Code Pink, was fueled by a growing body of reports from international aid organizations. According to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) platform, a "worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza".

UNRWA, the main UN aid agency in the region, reports that nearly one in five young children in Gaza City is malnourished. The Gaza Ministry of Health has documented over 100 children who have died of malnutrition-related causes since October 2023.

Protesters carried signs with messages such as "Stop Starving Gaza now!" and "Feed Gaza's Babies".

The movement's message was consistent with chants heard at similar rallies across the country, including "Ithaca, U.S., stop the slaughter, Gaza needs food and water".

The demonstration drew a diverse group of participants, including Jewish-led organizations like Jewish Voice for Peace and IfNotNow, whose members were seen chanting, "Jews say no more".

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) also encouraged mass turnout, stating that public opinion polls show most Americans oppose the "genocide".