Audience Cell Phones Distract Others at a 92Y and IAC Event - An Evening of Solidarity and Hope for

The masses who attend events at the 92nd St. Y cultural and community center may be a savvy, intelligent audience, but that doesn't mean every event goer possesses common courtesy.
As you can see in the photos above and below, during an evening of solidarity and hope for Israel, a handful of patrons couldn't take their eyes off of their cell phones. At times, presumably in an effort to demonstrate that they were paying attention, some of these rotten apples would pause to cram their phone into their armpit so they could applaud with the rest of the exuberant crowd. Unfortunately, a couple of these inconsiderate folks didn't even have the decency to put away their "smart" phones for the moment of silence held in memory of Israel's fallen soldiers.
Considering the passionate, and inspiring yet somber tone of the event regarding the Gaza conflict, you can chalk this one up to being a little ruder than usual. Despite the impolite clique annoying and distracting the rest of the crowd with the bright light of their cell phones, the event was a huge success.
You can watch watch the video of the event without cell phone interference at the bottom of this post!

Is using your cell phone at a speaking event such as this considered rude?
You decide.
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These photos were submitted by an anonymous person from the event.
Ido Aharoni, Charles Schumer, Scott Stringer, Eliot Engel and Bob Sugarman (Conference of President Chairman) speak at an event in support of Israel put on by the IAC (Israeli American Council) at the 92Y.