On Monday, anti-Israel activists led their crowd to demonstrate in front of one of the most famous cancer centers in the world, the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
The hospital was founded in 1884 as New York Cancer Hospital, the first cancer hospital in the United States. It also contains one of America’s top pediatric hospitals for cancer care, as well as over 120 research laboratories that focus on fighting the disease. In March 2023, the Center became the first in the nation to receive the American College of Surgeons’ Level I Specialty Children’s Center in Oncology designation.
“Another complicit institution: The Sloan Kettering Center,” an activist yelled to the crowd as they walked past the Center, where at least one child who was apparently being treated stood looking out of the window of the hospital. “Make sure they hear you; they’re in the windows. On this day, shame on you. You support genocide, too.”
Not a good look as pro-Palestinian protestors target a cancer hospital on New York’s Upper East Side. The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center also houses a paediatric day hospital…
“Make sure they hear you, they’re in the windows”. pic.twitter.com/qKC7ma1v52
— Danny Morris (@DannyMMorris) January 15, 2024
The hospital has roughly 500 beds for patients. More than 1,400 attending physicians and over 4,000 specially trained nurses work on the Center’s staff. “Together, the medical team and support staff manage more than 26,000 surgical cases and over 700,000 outpatient visits for patients across locations in New York City and to MSK’s Regional Care Network with locations in Westchester County, Long Island, and New Jersey,” the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers notes.
Social media users condemned the targeting of a hospital meant for cancer patients; one wrote, “I went to Sloan Kettering when I had liver problems after I had my first son. Sloan Kettering saves lives. This is despicable behavior on the part of the Pro-Palestinians. Everyone should denounce them.”
“MSK saved my life from colon cancer, I was in that hospital,” another added.
“Can you imagine while being there trying to sleep & recover hearing that noise,” another user commented. “That tells you how incredibly selfish those people are. I’ve had cancer, nothing is worse than health issues. People have no idea what it’s like til they go thru it.”
“This is one of the most disgusting videos I have seen,” a fourth user added.