At least 30 people detained at anti-Netanyahu protest in New York — Asharq Al-Awsat

In New York, police detained at least 30 participants in a protest near the UN headquarters against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ahead of his speech at the General Assembly. Those detained included actress Susan Sarandon, actress Hannah Einbinder, Democratic congressional candidate Daryaliza Avila Chevalier, and New York City Council member Chi Ossé.

Action near UN headquarters

As Asharq Al-Awsat reports, about 200 people gathered for an action organized by the pro-Palestinian Jewish activist group Jewish Voice for Peace. The demonstrators wore matching white T-shirts with the slogans “Fund people, not bombs,” “No to war,” and “Free Palestine.”

Participants blocked traffic, after which police ordered them over loudspeakers to clear the roadway. Some protesters moved to the sidewalks, but the main group remained seated on the road and continued chanting slogans against Netanyahu.

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Detention of participants

Police officers who arrived on bicycles surrounded the protesters. According to the publication, law enforcement officers pulled people out of the group one by one, restrained their hands with plastic zip ties, and escorted them to police buses. Near the buses, activists continued chanting slogans against the Israeli prime minister.

One participant, university professor Manijeh Moradian, said she believes protesters have a duty to speak out against what, she said, is happening in Gaza at the expense of American taxpayers. She also said Netanyahu has no right to use the UN platform to justify these actions.