image sourced from original article at About 200 mostly Jewish protesters gathered outside The New York Times offices in Manhattan to denounce a column alleging systemic sexual abuse of Palestinian inmates in Israel. Demonstrators chanted against the newspaper and columnist Nicholas Kristof, accusing the publication of spreading libel and anti Zionist narratives that they say endanger Jews worldwide.
Organizers from several advocacy groups formed after the October 2023 Hamas invasion of Israel said the article relied on unreliable sources and included extreme claims that experts have called implausible. Critics also argued that the column misrepresented statements by former prime minister Ehud Olmert and was published just before a major report on sexual violence committed by Hamas.
Speakers at the rally described the column as part of a broader pattern of false or misleading coverage related to Gaza, citing previous reporting controversies. Some protesters compared the allegations to historic anti Jewish libels and warned that such narratives could incite violence.
The New York Times defended the column and rejected threats of legal action from Israeli leaders, calling such moves attempts to undermine independent journalism. The protest concluded peacefully after about an hour, with no organized counter demonstration present.
