NEW YORK, USA — Hollywood stars Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder were among protesters detained by police in New York on Thursday during a demonstration against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
AFP footage showed New York Police Department (NYPD) officers handcuffing Sarandon, known for her roles in Thelma & Louise, Dead Man Walking and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, as police moved to disperse the demonstration near the United Nations headquarters.
Einbinder, star of the television series Hacks, was also taken into custody, according to reports. The protest was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, with demonstrators carrying banners reading “Stop Arming Israel” and “End the Genocide.”
The NYPD said officers responded to an “unscheduled demonstration” after protesters blocked an intersection. A police spokesperson said officers from the Community Affairs Bureau issued warnings directing participants to leave, but those who continued blocking the intersection were taken into custody. The department did not immediately provide the number of people detained.
The demonstration took place as Netanyahu prepared to address the UN General Assembly, where he delivered a forceful defence of Israel and criticised countries including Britain and France over their recent decisions to recognise a Palestinian state.
As Netanyahu began speaking, dozens of delegates reportedly walked out of the General Assembly chamber.
Sarandon has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and has participated in previous pro-Palestinian demonstrations.
Earlier this month, during the Venice Film Festival, she said she had lost acting opportunities because of her public views on the conflict.
“I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” Sarandon said, adding that she believed public understanding of the situation had changed, although she said opposition to her views remained within parts of the film industry.
The New York demonstration attracted hundreds of protesters, with reports putting attendance at about 250 at one protest organised near the UN headquarters.
