Police arrest 34 people during occupation of Brooklyn Museum by Gaza protesters

New York police said on Saturday that they had arrested 34 people following a pro-Palestinian protest outside the Brooklyn Museum. During the protest, some works of art were reported to have been damaged and security personnel were harassed by demonstrators.

Hundreds of protesters marched to the museum on Friday afternoon, setting up tents in the lobby and unfurling a “Free Palestine” banner from the roof of the building before police arrived and made arrests.

As the crowd outside the museum became physically violent, New York police officers attacked and beat some protesters, while some demonstrators threw plastic bottles at officers and shouted insults. Other protesters held banners, waved Palestinian flags and chanted loudly on the steps of the magnificent Beaux-Arts Museum, the city's second largest.

City police said of the 34 people arrested, six were arrested and charged with crimes ranging from trespassing to assault. Another 23 were released after receiving tickets or summonses for offenses including trespassing, graffiti, property damage and resisting arrest. Police did not disclose what happened to the remaining five people.

Museum spokesman Taylor Maatman said in a statement that the museum was closed an hour early out of concern for the safety of people and art collections.

“Unfortunately, existing and newly installed artwork on our square has been damaged and our security personnel have been physically and verbally harassed,” said Maatman.

The rally began Friday afternoon across from the Barclays Center, home of the Brooklyn Nets NBA team. Drumming and chanting, the demonstrators then made their way to the museum about a mile away.

Organizers, including the group Within Our Lifetime, called on their supporters to “flood” and “evacuate” the museum, saying they would take over the building until authorities “disclose and disengage” from all investments related to Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip.

Videos posted on social media show museum guards attempting to secure the doors against the surging crowd and protesters finding other ways inside.

Within Our Lifetime posted on social media that the organization’s chairwoman, Nerdeen Kiswani, had been “targeted and violently arrested” by police.

Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas began in October, hundreds of street demonstrations have taken place in New York City.

The Brooklyn Museum is located on the outskirts of Crown Heights, home to one of the city's largest communities of Orthodox Jews.

The Associated Press contributed to this report