Oscar-winning actress Susan Sarandon, Hacks star Hannah Einbinder, and 101 other demonstrators were taken into custody by the NYPD on Thursday, September 24, 2026, during an unscheduled anti-Netanyahu protest blocking First Avenue outside the United Nations General Assembly in Midtown Manhattan.
The Bottom Line
- The Arrests: A total of 103 people, including high-profile entertainment figures and local politicians, were given summonses for disorderly conduct and released following a midday demonstration near First Ave. and E. 39th St.
- The Catalyst: The protest coincided with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
- The Industry Context: Both Sarandon and Einbinder have previously spoken publicly about facing career blowback and lost work due to their outspoken advocacy for Palestine.
Inside the Midtown Manhattan Demonstration
The demonstration began around noon on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as socialist groups joined Jewish Voice for Peace to block traffic near the United Nations headquarters. Protesters chanted slogans such as “Free Palestine,” “Stop arming Israel,” and “Netanyahu, you can’t hide! We charge you with genocide!” as NYPD officers moved in to clear the intersection.
Among those detained by police were 79-year-old actress Susan Sarandon and 31-year-old actress Hannah Einbinder. Both wore white T-shirts bearing the phrase “fund people not bombs.” Footage from Agence France-Presse captured Sarandon looking up serenely as officers placed zip-ties around her wrists. Comedian and rising actor Caleb Hearon, 31, was also seen interacting with police officers at the scene.
Here is the kicker: the heavy-hitting roster wasn’t limited to Hollywood. Whistleblower Chelsea Manning, activist Linda Sarsour, and a cohort of local politicians—including City Council members Chi Ossé, Alexa Avilés, and Jennifer Gutiérrez, Assemblywoman Emily Gallagher, and Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier—were also taken into custody, issued summonses for disorderly conduct, and released.
Elected Officials, Walkouts, and Escalating Tensions
While some public figures faced arrest, others participated without being cuffed or simply lent their presence to the wider day of action. Actor Elliot Page was spotted blocking traffic but was not taken into custody. Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon also attended the demonstration, though she was not among those arrested. Additional local lawmakers present included City Council members Sandy Nurse and Tiffany Cabán, State Senator Jabari Brisport, Assemblywoman Diana Moreno, and congressional candidate Brad Lander.
The street-level protests mirrored dramatic friction inside the General Assembly hall itself. As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took the podium to address the 81st UNGA, dozens of international delegates staged a walkout. Netanyahu defended his government’s military operations in Gaza, labeling accusations of genocide “the biggest lie of the century” while his own delegation stood and applauded.
Later in the afternoon, a second major protest organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement drew roughly 2,000 activists marching from the New York Public Library to Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza. Tensions flared along the route with minor skirmishes between protesters and Trump supporters, though police intervened without making arrests. At the plaza, demonstrators briefly set fire to a 10-foot-tall papier-mâché effigy of Netanyahu dressed in prison stripes before officers extinguished the flames.
The Cost of Activism in Modern Hollywood
For Sarandon and Einbinder, participating in high-visibility demonstrations comes on the heels of well-documented industry friction regarding their political stances. Sarandon noted at the Venice Film Festival earlier in the month that she continues to lose film work because agencies instruct people not to hire her. “I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still,” Sarandon stated.
Similarly, Einbinder addressed the professional toll of her advocacy during an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, emphasizing that the human stakes far outweigh career metrics. “I am under no impression that my small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life,” Einbinder remarked.
Following her release on Thursday, Einbinder took to Instagram to reinforce her message. “If the pictures of my friends and me getting arrested in protest of Netanyahu’s shameful visit to New York draw attention to anything, let it be to the devastating genocidal war Israel is waging against the people of Palestine and Southern Lebanon,” she posted.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Detainees | 103 individuals taken into custody at First Ave. and E. 39th St. |
| Charges Issued | Summonses for disorderly conduct; all released following brief detention. |
| Notable Figures Arrested | Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder, Caleb Hearon, Chelsea Manning, Linda Sarsour, Chi Ossé, Darializa Avila Chevalier. |
| Notable Figures Present / Unarrested | Elliot Page, Cynthia Nixon, Brad Lander, Jabari Brisport, Sandy Nurse, Tiffany Cabán. |
As the diplomatic fallout from the General Assembly continues to reverberate internationally, the intersection of celebrity activism and street-level protest in New York City shows no signs of slowing down. What do you think about Hollywood figures using their platform for direct civil disobedience? Let’s talk about it in the comments below.
