Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters gathered outside Park East Synagogue on the Upper East Side Tuesday night as the synagogue hosted an exhibition called the "Great Israeli Real Estate Event.”

The roving real estate expo promotes a service that helps people living in the U.S. and other countries purchase land in Israel and the West Bank. Pro-Palestinian supporters say it promotes the illegal sale of stolen Palestinian land.

What You Need To Know

  • On Tuesday night, Park East Synagogue hosted an event promoting a service that helps people living in the U.S. and other countries purchase land in Israel and the West Bank

  • Pro-Palestinian supporters gathered outside the event to protest, saying it promotes the illegal sale of stolen Palestinian land

  • The organization that hosted the event is promoting similar events in Brooklyn and Queens at the end of the year

Tuesday night's protest went on for hours, and while the NYPD said no arrests were made, there were tense moments as police tried to keep protesters back.

In November, the synagogue was the site of another controversial event held by a nonprofit organization that promotes American immigration to Israel.

Pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with pro-Israel protesters at the time, and Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch later apologized for not doing more to secure the entrance to the synagogue.

The incident prompted the proposal of buffer zone legislation requiring the NYPD to publish police perimeters around certain sensitive locations during protests.

Buffer zone legislation has been controversial, with opponents citing constitutional concerns related to free speech and the right to protest.

Last month, with a veto-proof majority, the City Council passed legislation requiring buffer zones around houses of worship. The council also passed similar legislation that would create buffer zones around educational institutions, but Mayor Zohran Mamdani vetoed that bill.

Some Upper East Side residents on Tuesday said they were frustrated by the synagogue's decision to host the event, knowing it would lead to protests.

"The last protest was a free-for-all. And they knew that. And so they took this opportunity to rent again to this particular organization, knowing that there would be a protest," one resident said. "It creates a dangerous area for the people who live here.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mamdani said he was "deeply opposed to the real estate expo," but added that his administration "has also been clear that we are committed to ensuring safe entry and exit from any house of worship, and that such access never be in question while all protesters are able to exercise their First Amendment rights."

The organization that hosted the event is promoting similar events in Brooklyn and Queens at the end of the year.