As Benjamin Netanyahu addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, the streets outside became a stage for a different kind of reckoning — one where artists and activists chose arrest over silence. Jewish Voice for Peace organized a demonstration that drew not only protesters but public figures willing to trade professional standing for moral witness, among them Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon and HBO star Hannah Einbinder. Their detentions by the NYPD, alongside a city council member and a congressional candidate, arrived at the precise moment dozens of diplomatic envoys were wa
Sarandon, Einbinder arrested at anti-Netanyahu protest in New York
Multiple individuals were detained by police, including actors, a congressional candidate, and a city council member, though specific arrest numbers were not disclosed.
The cost of not speaking is higher than any career loss
Mark
Why did police decide to move in on this particular protest? Was there something that escalated it?
Mimi
The NYPD said they responded to reports of an unscheduled demonstration blocking an intersection. Officers warned people to leave, and when they didn't, arrests followed. It wasn't framed as a violent or chaotic situation—just people who wouldn't disperse.
Luke
Right, but we should be clear: the NYPD's characterization is one account. We don't have independent confirmation of what exactly happened on the ground or whether the blocking was the real trigger or just the stated reason.
Mark
Both Sarandon and Einbinder have talked about the professional cost of their activism. How real is that cost?
Mimi
Sarandon said explicitly that she's lost recent work because agencies are telling people not to hire her. Einbinder hasn't reported specific job losses, but she's acknowledged the risk and decided it's worth it anyway.
Luke
Sarandon's claim about losing work is her own account—we don't have confirmation from the agencies or studios involved. It's credible, but it's one person's experience, not a documented industry pattern.
Mark
What was happening inside the UN while this was going on?
Mimi
Netanyahu was giving his address to the General Assembly. Dozens of envoys walked out during his speech. He was defensive, attacking countries like Britain and France for recognizing Palestine and for criticizing Israel.
Luke
The walkouts are confirmed, and his quotes are on the record. That part is solid.
Mark
Did the police say how many people were arrested total?
Mimi
No. They named some of the people—Sarandon, Einbinder, a congressional candidate, a city council member—but didn't give a total number.
Luke
That's a gap. We know some names but not the scale of the arrests. That matters for understanding how large the police response actually was.
O Pulso
- With Netanyahu at the podium and cameras rolling, protesters blocked a Manhattan intersection near the UN, refusing police orders to disperse until officers moved in with handcuffs.
- The arrests swept up not just activists but recognizable faces — Sarandon, Einbinder, an elected council member, a congressional candidate — raising the stakes of what civil disobedience means when careers and ballots are on the line.
- Sarandon has already paid a professional price for her Gaza activism, describing lost work and industry blacklisting at Venice just weeks earlier, yet she returned to the streets anyway.
- Einbinder, who spoke at Cannes about the moral arithmetic of silence versus consequence, has made her position explicit: no role is worth more than a single human life.
- Inside the chamber, the walkouts by dozens of envoys during Netanyahu's combative address mirrored the protest outside, suggesting that dissent — whether in the streets or the halls of diplomacy — is no longer a fringe position.
As Benjamin Netanyahu addressed world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly, the streets outside became a stage for a different kind of reckoning — one where artists and activists chose arrest over silence. Jewish Voice for Peace organized a demonstration that drew not only protesters but public figures willing to trade professional standing for moral witness, among them Oscar-winner Susan Sarandon and HBO star Hannah Einbinder. Their detentions by the NYPD, alongside a city council member and a congressional candidate, arrived at the precise moment dozens of diplomatic envoys were walking out of the chamber above — a convergence that revealed how thoroughly the war in Gaza has unsettled the ordinary boundaries between art, politics, and conscience.
On a Thursday afternoon in New York, as Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to address the United Nations General Assembly, police moved through a Jewish Voice for Peace demonstration near the venue and began making arrests. Among those taken into custody were Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, both of whom had blocked an intersection alongside other protesters carrying signs reading "Stop Arming Israel" and "End the Genocide." NYPD officers from the Community Affairs Bureau had warned the crowd to disperse; when demonstrators refused, arrests followed. Also detained were Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City council member Chi Ossé.
For Sarandon, the arrest was a continuation of a very public reckoning with professional cost. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival weeks earlier, she described losing work after talent agencies instructed clients not to hire her — a consequence of her sustained activism around Gaza. She acknowledged the resistance but framed it as clarifying: "I found my family, I found my people, and I'm OK."
Einbinder had drawn her own line at Cannes earlier in the year, articulating a moral hierarchy that placed human life above career security. Referencing the industry backlash faced by Sarandon and others, she was unequivocal: "I am under no impression that my small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life. It's an obligation and I will always do it."
Inside the General Assembly, Netanyahu's address was combative, targeting not only adversaries but allied nations that had recently moved toward recognizing Palestinian statehood. He singled out Britain and France, challenging their moral authority on colonialism. Dozens of envoys walked out during his remarks. The simultaneous protest and diplomatic rupture outside and inside the same building captured the depth of a divide that is reshaping careers, alliances, and consciences alike.
On Thursday afternoon in New York, as Benjamin Netanyahu prepared to address the United Nations General Assembly, police moved through a demonstration organized by Jewish Voice for Peace and arrested multiple participants who had blocked an intersection near the venue. Among those taken into custody were Susan Sarandon, the Oscar-winning actor known for films including Thelma & Louise and Dead Man Walking, and Hannah Einbinder, who stars in the HBO series Hacks. Footage from Agence France-Presse captured NYPD officers placing handcuffs on Sarandon at the protest site.
The demonstration had drawn activists carrying signs reading "Stop Arming Israel" and "End the Genocide." According to an NYPD spokesperson, officers from the Community Affairs Bureau had warned participants that they were blocking an intersection and needed to disperse. When demonstrators refused to leave, police began making arrests. The department did not disclose how many people were detained in total, though the group arrested included Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City council member Chi Ossé alongside the two actors.
Sarandon has become a visible figure in activism around Israel's war in Gaza, a stance that has carried professional consequences. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival earlier in September, she described losing work because talent agencies had instructed clients not to hire her. She acknowledged the resistance she faced within the entertainment industry from those she described as holding strong pro-Israel positions, yet said she had found community among others who shared her views. "I found my family, I found my people, and I'm OK," she told journalists.
Einbinder has similarly weighed the cost of speaking publicly about Palestine against the risk to her career. At the Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year, she articulated a clear hierarchy of values: the obligation to speak out supersedes professional security. She referenced the industry backlash faced by actors like Sarandon and Melissa Barrera, but insisted that silence carried a heavier price. "I am under no impression that my small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life," she said. "It's an obligation and I will always do it."
Inside the General Assembly chamber, Netanyahu's address prompted walkouts from dozens of envoys representing countries around the world. His remarks were combative, directed at both adversaries and recent critics among allied nations. He singled out Britain and France, which had recently moved toward recognizing Palestinian statehood, and challenged their moral authority to accuse Israel of colonialism. "They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism," he said. "And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term." The arrests outside the building reflected the broader tensions surrounding his visit and the deepening divide over how the world should respond to the conflict in Gaza.
Citações Notáveis
I've still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still.— Susan Sarandon, speaking at Venice Film Festival
I am under no impression that my small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life. It's an obligation and I will always do it.— Hannah Einbinder, speaking at Cannes Film Festival
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