It should have been a quiet public holiday in New York City, but anti-war activists and pro-Palestinian protesters had other plans.

Thousands of people roared through Manhattan on Monday afternoon, chanting and screaming, blocking traffic and blaring vuvuzelas as they reminded the city that a devastating war continues to unfold in Gaza.

On Monday, protesters said they wanted to emphasise one more thing: they would not be distracted by election fever while Palestinians were being bombed in Gaza.

“Both the Republicans and the Democrats are bipartisan when it comes to genocide, and we won’t vote for people who have blood on their hands,” Nerdeen Kiswani, chair of Within Our Lifetime, told Middle East Eye. We’re boycotting the Democratic Party. We are calling for people to understand that Killer Kamala and Genocide Joe are just one in the same."