Actors and Officials Detained at Anti-Netanyahu Protest Near the U.N.
Police detained actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder in New York on Thursday, Sept. 24, during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he prepared to address the United Nations General Assembly, the yearly gathering where world leaders give speeches. The Guardian
The demonstration, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, took place near the United Nations complex and called for Netanyahu's arrest. Dozens of people were taken into custody.
Protesters held banners reading "Stop Arming Israel" and "End the Genocide." Einbinder, an actress on the series "Hacks," was detained alongside Sarandon. Comedian Caleb Hearon was also detained. Actor Cynthia Nixon was arrested at the demonstration, and actor Elliot Page attended. The action also drew elected officials. Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City council member Chi Ossé were among those arrested.
The New York Police Department said officers responded to an "unscheduled demonstration" where people were blocking an intersection. The department said its Community Affairs Bureau, the unit that communicates with crowds, issued warnings to leave before taking people who did not comply into custody. The Guardian
Jewish Voice for Peace is a Jewish activist group that supports Palestinians. Reuters The group describes itself as organizing a grassroots, multiracial, cross-class, intergenerational movement of U.S. Jews. It states it has held collective 30- to 60-minute sessions every Monday and Wednesday at 3pm ET since October 2023, with over 11,000 people joining those sessions.
The broader context here is General Assembly week as a pressure point. Heads of government arrive in New York with security protection and a global stage. Critics cannot reach that stage, so they gather in the street outside. With reporters already deployed for the Assembly, disruption near the compound draws coverage, and detention keeps the story alive after the speech.
Looking at what this means for domestic politics, the lineup matters. Celebrity detentions bring attention. Detentions of elected officials change the calculation. A congressional candidate and a sitting council member accepting arrest show a willingness to take legal risk for visibility. That approach can help in primaries and city politics, where activist support counts. It also creates a record opponents can use later.
In my view, the organizer matters as much as the target. A Jewish-led mobilization demanding action against an Israeli prime minister complicates the usual alignments in Washington and in coverage. It does not settle questions of jurisdiction or enforcement. It shifts attention from whether criticism is allowed to who is speaking, and what claim of representation they make. That is why the messenger, the timing tied to the Assembly speech, and the demand for arrest were combined.
