NYPD arrests Susan Sarandon and Cynthia Nixon during UN protest against Netanyahu
New York police detained Susan Sarandon, Cynthia Nixon, and dozens of activists on First Avenue as roughly 250 demonstrators blocked traffic ahead of Benjamin Netanyahu's UN General Assembly speech.
High-profile arrests outside the United Nations
New York police detained dozens of activists on 24 September 2026, including Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, during a pro-Palestinian demonstration held outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan. The protest gathered in the streets surrounding the UN complex shortly before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was scheduled to deliver an address to the United Nations General Assembly. Organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist Jewish human rights organization advocating for Palestinian rights, the gathering drew approximately 250 participants to Midtown Manhattan. Protesters assembled to voice direct opposition to Netanyahu's diplomatic trip to New York and to demand an immediate end to Israel's ongoing war. Police officers intervened to detain participants after groups of demonstrators blocked public thoroughfares directly adjacent to the diplomatic headquarters.
Traffic blockades and detentions on First Avenue
The core of the demonstration took place two blocks south of the United Nations headquarters, where participants stepped into the roadway to obstruct vehicular traffic. On First Avenue, just south of the United Nations building, dozens of activists occupied the road until law enforcement officers intervened to make arrests. Officers escorted a long line of handcuffed protesters toward a waiting police transport bus parked on First Avenue. Many of the detained individuals wore matching shirts printed with the phrase "Fund people, not bombs" as police led them away in restraints. Protesters standing on the curbs and sidewalks continued chanting phrases including "Free Palestine", "Stop the bombs", "End the killing", and "None of us are free until all of us are free" during the police action.
Actors and political candidates among the detainees
The gathering brought together several prominent cultural figures and political candidates contesting elections in New York. Police took New York City Council member Chi Ossé and Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier into custody alongside Sarandon after they joined the street protest. Officers also arrested Emmy-winning actresses Cynthia Nixon and Hannah Einbinder during the demonstration outside the UN complex. Actor Elliot Page took part in the protest among the assembled demonstrators. Brad Lander, another Democratic candidate for Congress in the state of New York, was also present at the scene demonstrating with the activist group.
Opposition to the General Assembly address
The demonstration took place during the broader diplomatic schedule of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Protesters coordinated the gathering specifically to oppose Netanyahu's scheduled address before the international body and to call for an immediate end to bombing operations. Jewish Voice for Peace directed the action to demand the protection of Palestinian rights and an end to foreign military financing. Police vehicles transported Sarandon, the detained political candidates, and dozens of fellow activists away from the First Avenue demonstration site to process the arrests, while security personnel maintained street perimeters near the United Nations.
