New York police arrest over 100 protesters during Netanyahu UN visit

More than one hundred demonstrators, including local politicians, congressional candidates, and high-profile entertainment figures, were taken into custody by the New York Police Department during intense protests outside the United Nations headquarters in Manhattan, coinciding with a deeply controversial address delivered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the General Assembly.

The demonstrations unfolded across multiple locations in the city, drawing energy from a coalition of advocacy groups according to Al Jazeera, including Jewish Voice for Peace and the New York City chapter of Democratic Socialists of America. Demonstrators sought to draw direct attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, carrying banners demanding an end to United States military support and chanting slogans condemning the Israeli leader. Protesters sat directly in the roadway at First Avenue and East 39th Street, blocking traffic before police officers from the NYPD's Strategic Response Group issued dispersal orders . When participants refused to clear the street, officers moved in to make arrests.

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Netanyahu Faces UN Walkout, Protests During New York Visit

Among those detained were several prominent public figures. According to Yahoo News, actresses Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder were photographed and filmed being placed in handcuffs by law enforcement. Other notable individuals taken into custody included whistleblower Chelsea Manning, City Council members Chi Ossé and Alexa Avilés, and Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York's 13th congressional district. Organisers noted that nine of those detained were elected officials or candidates for public office.

The street protests mirrored a tense atmosphere inside the United Nations chamber. As Netanyahu approached the podium to deliver his speech, numerous diplomats and delegates staged a mass walkout as reported by Global Village Space, leaving large sections of the General Assembly hall empty. During his address, the Israeli prime minister rejected accusations of genocide as the "greatest lie of the century" and launched a direct verbal assault on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, accusing the mayor of antisemitism and claiming that Jewish residents no longer felt safe in the city .

Mayor Mamdani fired back following the address, accusing Netanyahu of relying on baseless falsehoods to sanitise military violence against Palestinians . Mamdani pointedly reminded observers that the Israeli leader remains the subject of an active arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. Although Mamdani had previously faced local political pressure over campaign trail pledges regarding the prime minister, city officials acknowledged that local authorities lacked direct jurisdictional authority to execute international warrants.

The demonstrations also reflected wider political shifts within the progressive wing of American politics. Candidates who built their platforms around foreign policy stances opposing military aid joined rank-and-file activists on the asphalt . Demonstrators argued that municipal tax dollars should be redirected away from foreign military aid and toward domestic needs such as education, healthcare, and affordable housing .

Occasional verbal altercations and shoving matches broke out between opposing groups behind barricades, though police intervened quickly to prevent major violence .

As the diplomatic visit concluded and the prime minister departed the United States , local organisers vowed to maintain public pressure on federal lawmakers.