On a sunny but chilly Sunday afternoon, hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists unfurled a giant quilt on the steps of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, calling for an end to Israel’s hostilities in Gaza. Today, March 24, the action that started around 12:40 has brought together more than 350 participants.
Entitled “From Occupation to Liberation,” the quilts consisted of 65 artworks by various anonymous artists, some featuring traditional Palestinian motifs. sometimes embroidery Other squares referenced the poet Refaat Alareer, who was killed by Israeli bombing in Gaza, and Thomas Kilpper’s “Jenin Horse” (2003) – a 16-foot sculpture that previously stood in the West Bank city of Jenin before being removed by Israeli forces. at the end of October As the quilt was unfurled across the museum’s main entrance, activists surrounded the exhibit, holding signs reading “We see genocide,” “Let Gaza live,” and “None of us are free until Palestine is free.”
At the same time, the demonstrators chanted phrases such as “Free Palestine” and “Art for liberation, not colonization”, while several groups made references to Palestine. dabkeh folk dance
Organizers of the protest said Hyperallergic that the artwork was modeled after the historic NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt. Quilt prints are also available for purchase online. All proceeds will go to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), the humanitarian aid organization that helps Palestinian refugees in Gaza and elsewhere, recently targeted by Israel and the US. The action comes less than a week after 158 Met employees signed an open group letter calling on the organization’s director and executive director, Max Hollein, to issue a statement in support of a ceasefire and Israel’s destruction of Palestine.
No arrests were made, despite a heavy police presence ahead of the protest. Patrons were still able to enter and exit the museum, some were approached by protesters and handed out Met leaflets.
Calling on people to “throw away the Fine Art of Imperialism”, the leaflets called out the museum’s role in supporting colonialist power structures. They have cited the Met’s physical location on Lenape indigenous lands, as well as its connection to Israeli violence through trustees and donors including Michael Steinhardt, Ronald S. Lauder and Ted Pick.
There were some clashes between demonstrators and passers-by, some even shouting matches. Others in the area welcomed the protest, some even joined. Flor Sarna a tourist from New Mexico said Hyperallergic he was “pleasantly surprised” by the action. Jacki Steiger, a visitor to the museum on a business trip from Los Angeles, said they were “overwhelmed” but “happy” to see so many people out in support of the Palestinians.
“Everyone has a responsibility to speak up and do what they can to spread the word about the genocide in Gaza,” said actor Rowan Blanchard, who took part in the action, noting the museum’s significant platform, especially the annual Met. The gala approaches.
The Met declined to comment on the protest. Demonstrators canceled their initial plan to march down Fifth Avenue to the Neue Galerie and the Guggenheim Museum in the interest of safety. The group dispersed peacefully around 2:30 p.m.
Editor’s Note 3/25/24 10:45 AM EST: This article has been updated with additional context about an open letter signed by Met museum staff in solidarity with Palestine.
