Oscar-winning American actress Susan Sarandon and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s advisor Linda Sarsour were among more than 100 anti-Israel protesters detained in New York on Thursday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Other individuals detained included Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning. Protesters chanted “Free Palestine,” “Gaza,” and “Netanyahu, you can’t hide. We charge you with genocide.”
The protesters were detained after police moved to break up an unscheduled demonstration that was blocking an intersection near the United Nations. The NYPD said officers issued warnings for participants to leave, but those who continued blocking the intersection were taken into custody.
Organizers said 104 people were arrested during the demonstration, while reports citing the NYPD said police did not independently provide a total. Protesters gathered at several locations around Manhattan, with the main demonstrations taking place in Union Square and near the UN headquarters.
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Demonstrators held signs reading “Wanted for genocide” and “Netanyahu, go to ____.” Other prominent figures seen at the protests included Democratic influencer Hasan Piker and Democratic congressional candidates Chris Rabb and Adam Hamawy.
A video from the rally showed NYPD officers zip-tying Sarandon and Einbinder’s hands and taking them to a NYPD bus.
Sarandon has a history of political activism related to Israel and has accused Israel of “war crimes” in Gaza. In November 2023, a month after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, her Hollywood agency dropped her following a series of comments she had made about Israel.
Einbinder, who is Jewish, addressed her detainment in an Instagram story, saying the attention should remain on the war in Gaza and what she described as genocide. “If the pictures of my friends and me getting arrested in protest of Netanyahu’s shameful visit to New York draw attention to anything, let it be to the devastating genocidal war is waging against the people of Palestine and Southern Lebanon.” In 2025, Einbinder signed a letter criticizing Hollywood’s response to the war in Gaza.
Some Israelis also protested against Netanyahu’s visit to New York, including Eyal Eshel, the father of fallen IDF observer Roni Eshel; Rabbi Sarah Reines of Temple Emanu-El; protest leader Ami Dror; and U.S.-Israeli peace activist Alana Zeitchik.
The protests came amid the ongoing controversy surrounding the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) November 2024 arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, which allege war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the Gaza war. Israel has rejected the allegations and maintains that its military campaign is an act of self-defense following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack, while saying its forces seek to minimize civilian casualties.
Israel maintains that its forces seek to minimize civilian casualties while fighting Hamas, which it says operates from civilian areas. The ICC warrants and allegations of genocide remain disputed, with Israel rejecting the allegations and maintaining that its military campaign is an act of self-defense following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
This article originally appeared on ALL ISRAEL NEWS and is reposted with permission.
