Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon and Hacks star Hannah Einbinder have been detained alongside fellow demonstrators in Manhattan after police moved to clear an unscheduled protest. The high-profile demonstration, organised outside the United Nations ahead of an address by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saw over one hundred individuals taken into custody for blocking an intersection. Both Susan and Hannah were seen being escorted away by officers after authorities issued formal warnings to disperse.
Taking to social media shortly after her release, Hannah addressed the public spectacle of the arrests, urging observers to keep their focus firmly on the escalating humanitarian crisis. “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,” Hannah wrote. The Emmy-winning performer has consistently remained unapologetic about using her platform, previously explaining that “the cost of not speaking is higher” than any damage to her rising screen career.
Susan, renowned for classics such as Thelma & Louise and Dead Man Walking, has faced similar professional consequences for her vocal activism over Gaza. Speaking frankly about the reality of industry blacklisting, Susan shared that she had recently lost work because several agencies continue advising clients against hiring her. “I think there has been a change in terms of the understanding of the situation and the general public, but there are still very strongly held positions within my industry,” Susan stated, adding: “But I found my family, I found my people, and I’m OK.”
Organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, the rally drew hundreds of demonstrators who gathered with banners reading “Stop Arming Israel” and “End the Genocide”. Alongside Susan and Hannah, other notable attendees included comedian Caleb Hearon, Saturday Night Live performer Sarah Sherman and Cynthia Nixon. Inside the assembly hall, diplomatic envoys staged walkouts as Benjamin spoke, underlining the growing friction between institutional foreign policy and vocal public dissent.
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