This photo essay is part of a series examining how Oct. 7 and its aftermath have changed the Jewish world. You can see the complete project here.
On Oct. 7, as news of Hamas’ invasion of Israel plunged Jews everywhere into shock and mourning, two rallies were called for midtown Manhattan for the next day.
In one, pro-Palestinian and leftist groups rallied against Israel, some celebrating the Hamas attack, drawing widespread condemnation from Jewish and political leaders. In the other, Jews gathered to grieve and express solidarity with Israelis. Demonstrators from the two sides later came together near Times Square, shouting at each other across a police barricade.
The Oct. 8 demonstrations presaged a year of turmoil on New York City’s streets, one in which the landscape of the city was punctuated by protest, graffiti, prayer and, at times, confrontation. A second, quieter transformation also took place, as the posters and stickers of the early days after Oct. 7 were removed, covered up or simply eroded as the seasons passed.
This is what New York City looked like in the year after Oct. 7.