New Jersey man accused of trying to break into Met Gala facing multiple charges

A man accused of trying to break into the Met Gala on Monday is facing multiple charges.

Christian Daniel Smalls, 37, of Jersey City, New Jersey, jumped a barricade outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art at around 7 p.m. and was immediately tackled by officers, police said.

The incident happened as celebrities were arriving for fashion's biggest night.

Smalls was seen carrying a sign reading, in part, "Amazon refuses! To negotiate a contract with its union at JFK [Terminal] 8."

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was an honorary chair of this year's Met Gala.

Smalls is an Amazon union organizer who spoke to CBS News New York at a rally in 2022.

In a statement, Amazon Labor Union-IBT Local 1 said Smalls' protest and arrest were not connected to the union, but they did demand Smalls' release from NYPD custody and condemned what they called "the NYPD's aggressive treatment of protesters."

According to the union, Smalls has not been involved in ALU-IBT Local 1's organizing since August 2024.

Smalls is facing multiple charges, including trespassing, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

This is not the first time protesters have been arrested outside the Met Gala in recent years. In 2024, dozens of pro-Palestinian demonstrators were arrested after marching from Hunter College to the Met as the gala got underway.