Nabka Protest in Bay Ridge Today 5/16/26
Yesterday was Nabka 78.
Seventy-eight year ago – in 1948, 700,000 Palestinians left their homes (or were forced to leave their homes) during the war that happened when the State of Israel was created.
The word Nabka in Arabic means “catastrophe” or “great disaster.” Each year there are protests in Brooklyn on Nabka.
The “Within Our Lifetime group” can march and chant in the streets of NYC, but ultimately the only way to get Palestine back (or a part of the area back) is for them to fight Israel and win. Israel has a strong defense because they spend $25 billion on it each year.
Today at 2:00 pm, people will be protesting in Bay Ridge starting on 72nd Street and 5th Avenue.
Their flyer translates to: “Neighborhoods remember, but the Nakba does not die.”
One organization wrote: “In honor of the 78+ year long struggle for liberation of the Palestinian people, Pal-Awda will be in the streets of Bay Ridge protesting in honor of the freedom fighters and martyrs of Gaza and all of Palestine.“
A video of the protest was shared here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1821884731398700/posts/4294563837464098
There is always a group of Jewish men who show up to support the Palestinians and chant, “Free Palestine.”
There were counter protesters. Some got ugly:
The Nakba protest in bay ridge begins! Pro Israel supporters shout at pro Palestine Jews, a brief argument occurred.
— Luis documents? (@luisdocuments) May 16, 2026
Hundreds of protesters are now gathering on a small sidewalk, cops have now formed a wall to prevent protesters from entering the streets. pic.twitter.com/9OeHsXkleJ
Hopefully, it will be a peaceful protest. In 2024, it was not peaceful and 40 people were arrested – see here: https://www.instagram.com/p/C7IL5mnORZT
Expect: Traffic, bus delays and a large police presence in Bay Ridge. Also, there will Jewish people standing with the Palestinians:
https://www.instagram.com/reels/DYYPMU9RYtp
Hugs,
marlene
Topics: Bay Ridge | 2 Comments »
May 16th, 2026 at 10:24 pm
Israel won the war. It is the only Jewish state surrounded by Arab countries who want to kill Jews, hence October 7. WOL Palestine is a terrorist organization screaming for the death of Israel. These protests are antisemitic in nature. Zionism simply means Israel has a right to exist.
May 17th, 2026 at 7:51 am
You aren’t wrong. I was explaining what Nabka was for my neighbors who are wondering why people are protesting in our community.
Maybe I should have included Israel won the war. But I would also need to include that before the war, the land was under British control. After World War 2, they split the land unevenly between the Jewish people and Palestinians (55 percent to 45 percent).
WOL is using all their resources to ignite Palestinians here, but that’s not going to change the land situation. I agree there is too much antisemitic hate.