Pro-Palestine Movement at MomA & Brooklyn Museum
MoMA(Peter Romulus)
This weekend was a whirlwind of protest and passion, both inside the sleek halls of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and on the bustling streets outside the Brooklyn Museum(My favorite museum ). It was a powerful display of solidarity and a call for peace amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.
At MoMA, the atrium became a canvas for bold messages. Protesters unfurled banners high above, with calls to "Free Palestine, From the River to the Sea," demands for a "Ceasefire Now," and a rallying cry for "Cultural Workers Stand with Gaza." They didn't shy away from the tough accusations either, pointing fingers at some of MoMA’s board members for backing what they labeled as "genocide, apartheid," and "settler colonialism."
Tensions were high between protesters and the NYPD outside the Brooklyn Museum Saturday as police officers tried to contain the crowd.(Michael Dalton)
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The action didn't stop at just visual statements. Around the afternoon, the crowd got creative with over a thousand mock museum guides. These weren’t your ordinary visitor brochures; they were a direct challenge to MoMA's board members like Leon Black and Larry Fink, accusing them of supporting the Zionist occupation through their financial ventures in arms manufacturing and more, all while MoMA touts values of 'change' and 'creativity.'
Leon Black, known for his ties with Apollo Global Management, and Larry Fink of BlackRock, found their contributions to defense sectors under the protestors' spotlight. This wasn't Black's first rodeo with controversy, having stepped down from Apollo and MoMA’s board chairmanship in 2021 after his financial dealings with Jeffrey Epstein came to light.
A protest at the Museum of Modern Art‘s opening party on October 18, 2019. - COURTESY DECOLONIZE THIS PLACE
The protests were more than a momentary uprising; they were part of a larger dialogue against injustice, as echoed by voices like Ariel from ACT UP New York. This group, initially rallied against the AIDS crisis, stood in solidarity against what they perceive as genocide, alongside anti-Zionist Jews and artists.
Despite the heavy themes, the sit-in at MoMA wrapped up peacefully by evening, with no arrests reported, a testament to the power of peaceful protest.
The call to action was loud and clear, organized by Writers Against the War on Gaza and the Palestinian Youth Movement's NY chapter. They reminded us that this was but a chapter in a larger narrative of resistance movements, touching on Black Liberation, prison abolition, and Indigenous sovereignty.
The crowd's size itself spoke volumes, with estimates ranging wildly but all agreeing on a significant turnout, demonstrating the community's commitment to these causes.
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Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Museum saw its share of action with a protest organized by Within Our Lifetime. While it was mostly peaceful, there were a few tense moments leading to NYPD arrests, including a member of the NYC media.
In a world where art meets activism, these protests at MoMA and the Brooklyn Museum underscore a vital dialogue about peace, justice, and the role of cultural institutions in times of conflict. While the museums stayed mum, the message from the streets and galleries was anything but silent.
