UN Protest Detentions
Celebrities and Activists Detained During Protests Outside Netanyahu's UN Address
Anonymous
Key Points
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Before Netanyahu’s address, protesters chanted, “Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live” and “Stop arming Israel, let Iran live.” Photos showed Susan Sarandon wearing a shirt reading “fund people not bombs.”
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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called on the U.S. to honor the International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu. The report noted that the U.S. is not a member of the court and New York City has no authority to arrest him.
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Netanyahu challenged delegates who walked out by asking, “Where were you when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians?” He also criticized Mamdani and streamer Hasan Piker.
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Sarandon said her support for Palestine had cost her movie roles, saying agencies were still telling people not to hire her. Einbinder has likewise defended speaking out, saying, “The cost of not speaking is higher.”
Hundreds of protesters blocked streets near the United Nations on September 24 to oppose Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's General Assembly address. Consequence reported that police detained or arrested around 100 demonstrators, including actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, as well as congressional candidate Darializa Avila-Chevalier. The detentions came after activists chanted "Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live" and staged a sit-in blocking traffic.
Sarandon wore a shirt reading "Fund people, not bombs," while Einbinder said in a statement, "The cost of not speaking is higher." Deadline noted that dozens of international delegates walked out as Netanyahu began defending Israel's military campaigns. He challenged the walkouts, asking where they were "when the Iranian tyrants butchered and maimed tens of thousands of unarmed Iranian civilians."
Celebrities and Activists Join a Massive Sit-In
The demonstration drew a star-studded crowd of protesters near the UN building's entrance. Yahoo News reported that among those detained were Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, actor Cynthia Nixon, and comedian Caleb Hearon. Sarandon appeared in photos wearing her "Fund people, not bombs" shirt, signaling her long-standing opposition to U.S. military aid to Israel.
Sarandon told reporters that her pro-Palestine activism cost her film roles, with talent agencies instructing producers not to hire her. Hello Magazine documented the September 24 detention in detail, showing police using zip-ties to clear the intersection. NYC Council Member Chi Ossé and congressional candidate Avila-Chevalier also participated, facing custody for blocking traffic.
Netanyahu Defends Israel While Delegates Walk Out
Inside the General Assembly hall, Netanyahu delivered a forceful speech defending Israeli military actions in Gaza and against Iran. Dozens of international envoys staged a coordinated walkout as he began speaking. Consequence noted that the Israeli Prime Minister called walkout delegates "moral cowards" and questioned their silence on Iran's alleged abuses of civilians.
Netanyahu singled out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and online streamer Hasan Piker for criticism. Mamdani had called on U.S. authorities to honor an International Criminal Court arrest warrant for Netanyahu—a call without legal weight, since the U.S. is not a member of the court and New York has no jurisdiction over visiting heads of state.
Deep Rifts Within Democratic Coalition Over Gaza Support
The arrests of city officials and a congressional candidate signal fracturing within the Democratic Party over U.S. military aid to Israel. Avila-Chevalier declared, "Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal who belongs at The Hague, and it cannot be that he comes to our city unchallenged." Chi Ossé and other city-level Democrats publicly opposed the visit.
Cynthia Nixon told protesters: "I want elected leaders here in this country to catch up to the American people, who understand that what is happening in Gaza and Palestine is a war crime." The detentions of sitting officials and high-profile actors underscore how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has become a wedge issue in U.S. domestic politics.
NYPD Clears Sit-In After Verbal Warnings
Police said they issued verbal dispersal orders before clearing the First Avenue blockade. Yahoo News reported that officers deployed zip-ties and detained over 100 people who refused to leave. Confusion persisted over whether high-profile detainees like Sarandon and Einbinder faced formal arrests or administrative citations before release.
The NYPD characterized the action as routine public-order enforcement in response to an unscheduled protest blocking major traffic. Both protesters and city officials framed the detentions as a clash between free speech and municipal safety. No serious injuries were reported.
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