Queer photographer Nan Goldin among activists arrested at pro-Palestine protest in New York

Nan Goldin, Debra Winger and Molly Crabapple at a pro-palestine protest, sitting on the floor and wearing red t-shirts with the messages: Stop arming Israel.
Nan Goldin, Debra Winger and Molly Crabapple at a pro-palestine protest, sitting on the floor and wearing red t-shirts with the messages: Stop arming Israel. Via X - @mynameisjro

On Monday, October 14, around 500 demonstrators gathered on Wall Street, barring the entrance to the New York Stock Exchange to protest corporate profit from Israel’s war on Gaza. Among the activists who were subsequently arrested for taking part in the pro-Palestine protest was queer photographer Nan Goldin.

The demonstration was organised by Jewish Voices for Peace, an anti-Zionist grassroots organisation that fights for liberation for all people, including Palestinians. The sit-in targeted weapons manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, which are profiting from Israel’s ongoing attack on Gaza and Lebanon.

Protesters joined the action wearing t-shirts with messages such as “Stop arming Israel” and “Not in our name”. They also carried banners that read “Gaza bombed, Wall Street booms” and “Fund FEMA not genocide.”

As activists chanted “Endless war, profits soar” and carried signs reading “Jews say divest from Israel”, the police started to arrest people for criminal trespass. Among those who were detained by authorities was Nan Goldin, a queer artist who has a long history of protest and activism.

 

In a phone interview with Artnet, Goldin spoke about the pro-Palestine protest, saying: “I’ve been working with Jewish Voices for Peace since the beginning. I’m very gratified to be working with Jews on this because for a long time I was going to Palestinian protests by myself.

“Since last year, there’s such a strong coming together among Jews about this and it’s very meaningful. It means a lot to Palestinians to see Jews putting their bodies on the line for them. It’s the least I can do. Things have been ratcheted up to an unbearable point, so I want to do anything I can to amplify the message.”

 

Over 42,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel launched its military offensive in the Gaza Strip following the Hamas attack on October 7, last year. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs, over half are women, children, and elderly.

Israel’s genocidal military campaign is still ongoing, as ceasefire talks are not leading to a deal. In October this year, Israel escalated the war further, trading attacks with militant group Hezbollah, based in Lebanon. Moreover, Israel has promised to respond to 200 ballistic missiles launched by Iran on October 1.

 

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