Hollywood star Susan Sarandon and “Hacks” actress Hannah Einbinder were among those detained by police in New York on Thursday during a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
AFP footage captured NYPD officers handcuffing Sarandon, best known for her role in “Thelma & Louise,” as the demonstration unfolded while Netanyahu prepared to address the United Nations General Assembly.
According to the New York Post, Einbinder was also escorted away from the protest, which was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace. The NYPD did not immediately respond to AFP’s requests for comment regarding the detentions.
Protesters staged a sit-in on city streets, holding banners that read “Stop Arming Israel” and “End the Genocide,” as Netanyahu delivered a defiant speech at the UN.
Inside the General Assembly, dozens of international delegates walked out as the Israeli leader began speaking. During his remarks, Netanyahu criticized both adversaries and former allies, including Britain and France, who have recently moved to recognize the state of Palestine.
“They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism some colonialism. And who’s accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God’s sake, they invented the term,” Netanyahu told the assembly.
Sarandon, whose film credits include “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” “Dead Man Walking,” and “The Witches of Eastwick,” has long been vocal in protests against Israel’s war in Gaza. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month, she said her activism has had professional repercussions.
I’ve still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still. But that’s the power structure,” she said.
I think there has been a change in the general public’s understanding of the situation, but there are still very strongly held positions within my industry, particularly among Zionists who have not relaxed their feelings toward me. But I found my family, I found my people, and I’m okay,” Sarandon added.
— AFP
