Around thirty demonstrators advocating for Palestine assembled in Jackson Square on Sunday afternoon. They adorned the area with signs, waved the Palestinian flag, and arranged approximately ten green tents on the lawn encircling the Andrew Jackson statue.
New Orleans police monitored the peaceful demonstration from the sidewalk encircling the statue within the square’s confines, arriving around 5 p.m.
Some protesters burned incense, while others engaged in dancing and shared food on paper plates.
The signs crafted by the demonstrators expressed calls for a ceasefire and Palestinian freedom, while others directed attention toward oil companies and Jazz Fest.
A participant addressed the crowd through a noise-making device, highlighting that the gathering was part of a nationwide movement among college students protesting the conflict in Gaza and the U.S. government’s backing of Israel.
Although a police officer indicated that erecting tents was prohibited in Jackson Square, there was no confirmation regarding whether the NOPD intended to dismantle them.
By 5:30 p.m., four police officers were present at the scene.
This marks at least the third pro-Palestinian demonstration in New Orleans this week. Earlier, a small protest briefly halted traffic on Poydras Street in the Central Business District, and students from Tulane and Loyola universities convened on St. Charles Avenue, briefly disrupting the Uptown thoroughfare.
In recent months, peaceful protests advocating for Palestine have taken place in various locations, including the West Bank in Jefferson Parish and downtown New Orleans. Notably, a protest near Tulane University in October saw a brief escalation when some pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to burn an Israeli flag.
