Protest ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the United Nations, in New York. (Reuters Photo)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing large protests in New York ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, with hundreds of demonstrators blocking roads outside the UN headquarters.
Protesters including Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers gathered outside the UN, chanting slogans such as “Let Gaza live” and “the whole world is watching”, while several protesters were arrested as police moved in to clear the demonstration, according to The Guardian . The protests come amid rising political controversy over Netanyahu’s visit, with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani having repeatedly called the Israeli leader a “war criminal” and previously said he would seek his arrest if Netanyahu came to the city. He has also said New Yorkers have the right to protest and that his administration respects that right. She said she joined the demonstration as “a Jew, as an American, and as a human being”, while calling for an end to US support for Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
Mamdani later acknowledged that he does not have the legal authority to order Netanyahu’s arrest, citing legal and federal jurisdictional issues. Actor Hannah Einbinder was among those arrested ahead of the protest.