Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder and Caleb Hearon detained outside UN after protesting Netanyahu
New York City Police Department officers detain US actress Susan Sarandon and pro-Palestinian demonstrators (Getty Images)
Susan Sarandon, Hacks star Hannah Einbinder and comedian Caleb Hearon were among more than 100 people detained during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York on Thursday (24 September).
The demonstration, put together by Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish organisation supporting Palestine, took place near the United Nations ahead of Netanyahu’s address to the General Assembly. Protesters staged a sit-in on First Avenue, calling for an end to US military support for Israel and an end to the war in Gaza.
Reports indicated protesters were taken into custody for blocking traffic and roadways along First Avenue near 39th Street, close to UN headquarters.
Video and photographs from the demonstration showed Sarandon and Einbinder being taken away by police, with officers restraining their hands and escorting them towards an NYPD bus. Sarandon was wearing a white shirt reading “Fund people not bombs”, while protesters held signs reading “Stop arming Israel” and “End the genocide.”
Other public figures detained included author and activist Glennon Doyle, former US Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning and Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier, according to Jewish Voice for Peace. The organisation said several other elected officials and public figures also participated in the demonstration.
Actors Cynthia Nixon and Elliot Page, playwright Tony Kushner, photographer Nan Goldin, poet Eileen Myles and musicians Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker were among those reported to have attended. Jewish Voice for Peace said the demonstration brought together around 400 Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers, alongside elected officials and other activists.
What police said
The NYPD said 103 people were taken into custody after officers warned demonstrators to clear the roadway. Jewish Voice for Peace put the number at 104. The protesters were detained after continuing to block the intersection.
A NYPD spokesperson said officers responded to reports of an “unscheduled demonstration” where people were blocking an intersection. “Members of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau issued … warnings, advising participants that they should leave,” the spokesperson said. “They continued to block the intersection. Multiple individuals who didn’t comply were taken into custody,” she added.
The protest took place as Netanyahu prepared to address the UN General Assembly, where his speech prompted a significant walkout by diplomats and other delegates. Netanyahu defended Israel’s military campaign and rejected allegations that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, describing such accusations as false. Israel has consistently maintained that its military campaign is conducted in self-defence and in accordance with international law.
The UN’s Commission of Inquiry concluded in September 2025 that Israel had committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel rejected the commission’s findings. The International Criminal Court has also issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity; Netanyahu has rejected the allegations and called the warrant antisemitic.
Queer stars’ stances
Einbinder, who was raised in a Reform Jewish household, has been a strong supporter of Palestinian rights. After being detained, she addressed the protest on Instagram, saying she hoped images of her arrest would draw attention away from the celebrities involved and towards what she described as the devastating war in Gaza and southern Lebanon.
“Let us not mistake the spectacle for the story,” Einbinder wrote. “Genocide is the headline, and it is time for it to end.”
Sarandon, 79, has said her outspoken views have affected her career, telling journalists at the Venice film festival: “I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still. But that’s the power structure,” adding: “But I found my family, I found my people, and I’m OK.”
Hearon later posted on Instagram that he had been released and thanked the organisers.
