Susan Sarandon arrested at rally outside UN as Israel's Netanyahu speaks
Hollywood A-listers and City Council members were dragged into the fallout as one of NYC's biggest protests of the year turned into a mass arrest scene.
Susan Sarandon has been arrested during a protest outside the United Nations in New York City, as demonstrators gathered to demand the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Oscar-winning actress was one of dozens taken into custody on Thursday, September 24, as NYPD officers worked to clear First Avenue ahead of Netanyahu's scheduled address to the UN General Assembly, according to the New York Post, which cited law enforcement sources.
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Sarandon, long a vocal presence at pro-Palestine demonstrations, was joined by fellow actresses Cynthia Nixon and Hannah Einbinder, best known for her role in Hacks, both of whom were also cuffed as police moved in on the crowd.
The protest kicked off around noon, with several organisations joining Jewish Voice For Peace to block traffic near the UN. Demonstrators were calling out Netanyahu's war in Gaza and the escalating conflict with Iran, chanting: "Netanyahu, you can't hide! We charge you with genocide!"
Sarandon wasn't cuffed for simply attending, per the report: the arrests reportedly began less than an hour into the demonstration, once officers started placing zip-ties on protesters who refused to clear the road.
Sarandon, Nixon and Einbinder were swept up in that same operation, alongside ordinary members of the public.
Einbinder previously used her platform to say Free Palestine during her Emmy Awards acceptance speech last year, a moment that drew widespread attention at the time.
Who else was arrested at the UN protest?
The demonstration wasn't just a celebrity affair. Progressive New York City Council members Tiffany Cabán, Chi Ossé, Sandy Nurse and Shahana Hanif were all present, chanting "Stop arming Israel!" and "Let Iran live" alongside the crowd.
Also swept up in the arrests was Darializa Avila-Chevalier, a Democratic Socialists of America member and House candidate backed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
She reportedly smiled and chanted "Free Palestine" as she was loaded onto an NYPD bus.
NYC-DSA leader Gustavo Gordillo and New York State Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, a fellow democratic socialist, were also named among those in attendance at the rally.
Netanyahu, for his part, arrived at the UN on schedule and without incident despite the disruption outside, officials confirmed.
The protest comes against the backdrop of long-running accusations against Netanyahu over his conduct of the war in Gaza. He has been accused of crimes against humanity following Hamas' October 7, 2023 terrorist attack, with the International Criminal Court issuing a warrant for his arrest.
The United States does not recognise the ICC's authority, which allowed Netanyahu to travel freely to address the General Assembly.
Thomas Bamford