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Why did actors Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder protest Netanyahu outside UN?
Sarandon and Einbinder were among more than 100 people detained after protesters blocked a street outside the UN during Netanyahu’s visit.
FULL ARTICLE · The Indian Express World
5 min readUpdated: Sep 27, 2026 05:31 AM IST
Susan Sarandon, center, and other demonstrators are arrested ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus address at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Thursday, September 24, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo)
Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and Hacks star Hannah Einbinder were among more than 100 people detained by New York police during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outside the United Nations on Thursday.
The protesters were objecting primarily to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and continued US military support for Israel, as Netanyahu prepared to address the UN General Assembly. The demonstration was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, which said its demands included ending US arms supplies to Israel and stopping the war in Gaza.
Einbinder, who is Jewish, said she took part because she viewed speaking out against Israel’s actions in Gaza as a moral responsibility. Sarandon, meanwhile, joined demonstrators wearing a T-shirt reading “Fund people, not bombs” as protesters chanted “Let Gaza live, stop arming Israel.”
New York · September 24, 2026
Why Hollywood actors protested Netanyahu at the UN
Hundreds staged a sit-in near UN headquarters as Israel’s prime minister addressed the General Assembly.
Susan SarandonActor · detained
Hannah EinbinderActor · detained
UN headquarters
103arrested, according to the NYPD
400+took part in the sit-in, according to Jewish Voice for Peace
1Why they protested
- Opposition to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza
- Protest against continued US military support for Israel
- Opposition to Netanyahu addressing the UN
- Organisers called for an end to the war and to US arms supplies to Israel
2Who was there
Susan SarandonActorDetained
Hannah EinbinderActor, HacksDetained
Elliot PageActor
Cynthia NixonActor
Chelsea ManningActivist
Lucy DacusMusician
Julien BakerMusician
Politicians and activistsincluding elected officials and candidates
Jewish Voice for Peace organised the sit-in and said more than 400 people took part.
3What happened
- Sit-in on First Avenue, near UN headquarters
- Demonstrators blocked the road
- NYPD ordered them to disperse
- 103 people arrested, according to the NYPD
- Those detained were given summonses for disorderly conduct and released
4What were they chanting?
Protesters’ slogans
“Stop Arming Israel”
“End the Genocide”
“Fund People Not Bombs”
“Let Gaza Live”
These are the protesters’ words. Israel rejects the accusation of genocide.
Hannah Einbinder: why she joined the protest
September 2025Ends her Emmy acceptance speech with a call to “free Palestine”
May 2026At Cannes, says of speaking out on Palestine: “The cost of not speaking is higher”
September 24, 2026Joins the Jewish Voice for Peace sit-in outside the UN
September 24, 2026Detained by the NYPD, then released
“
Let us not mistake the spectacle for the story: genocide is the headline, and it is time for it to end.
Hannah Einbinder on Instagram after her detention. In the same post she said taking part was her moral responsibility “as a Jew, as an American, and as a human”.
Sources: NYPD via UPI and Al Jazeera; Jewish Voice for Peace; Times of Israel; Democracy Now!; Paste; IBTimes UKExpress InfoGenIE
Why were the actors protesting Netanyahu?
The immediate trigger was Netanyahu’s appearance at the UN, but the protest was broader than opposition to the Israeli prime minister personally.
Jewish Voice for Peace said the demonstration was intended to demand that the US stop arming Israel and end what the group describes as genocide in Gaza. The organisation said about 400 Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers took part in the sit-in.
Dozens of protesters, including actor Susan Sarandon, were detained by police in New York after staging a sit-in in the roadway to demand an end to US arms supplies to Israel https://t.co/BUkaACQemY pic.twitter.com/PM7fpJdaLv — Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2026
Protesters carried signs reading “Stop Arming Israel” and “End the Genocide”, while many wore white T-shirts with the message “Fund People Not Bombs”. They blocked First Avenue near the UN headquarters and remained in the street after police ordered them to disperse.
Manijeh Moradian, a university professor who participated in the protest, told news agency Reuters that the destruction in Gaza was being carried out “in our name, with our tax dollars” and argued that Netanyahu should not use the UN platform to justify Israel’s actions.
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What did Hannah Einbinder say?
Einbinder has previously spoken publicly about Palestinians and Israel. During her Emmy acceptance speech in 2025, she voiced support for Palestine. She also spoke about the issue at the Cannes Film Festival in 2026, saying the personal or professional cost of speaking out could not be weighed against a human life.
At Thursday’s protest, Einbinder said she was participating “as a Jew, as an American, and as a human”, describing opposition to the Israeli government’s actions in Gaza as a moral responsibility.
After her detention, she said in an Instagram statement that she wanted attention to remain on the war and its consequences rather than on the celebrities who had been arrested. She referred to the destruction in Gaza, settler attacks, home demolitions and airstrikes.
Why was Susan Sarandon arrested?
Sarandon, 79, joined the sit-in outside the UN ahead of Netanyahu’s speech. Reuters footage showed her among demonstrators wearing the “Fund people, not bombs” shirt and chanting against US support for Israel.
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Reuters reported that police arrested at least 30 protesters in its initial account. New York police later told CNN that 103 people were taken into custody as officers cleared protesters blocking First Avenue. Jewish Voice for Peace said more than 104 people were arrested.
What were protesters objecting to?
The protest centred on three connected issues — Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, which protesters accused Israel of conducting at the expense of Palestinian civilians, US military and financial support for Israel, with demonstrators calling for Washington to stop supplying weapons and Netanyahu’s appearance at the UN, which organisers argued gave him an international platform despite the allegations and controversy surrounding Israel’s conduct in Gaza.
What happened inside the UN?
The protest outside coincided with Netanyahu’s address to the General Assembly. During his speech, Netanyahu defended Israel’s actions in Gaza and rejected allegations that Israel was committing genocide. He also defended the US-Israeli military action against Iran and criticised his opponents. Dozens of delegates walked out as he began speaking.
Netanyahu also criticised the protesters outside the UN, questioning why they had not protested against Iran’s crackdown on demonstrators earlier in the year.
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Why the actors’ involvement drew attention
Alongside Sarandon and Einbinder, celebrities including Elliot Page, Cynthia Nixon, Chelsea Manning, Glennon Doyle, Sarah Sherman, Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker participated, according to Jewish Voice for Peace.
(With inputs from agencies)
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