Susan Sarandon And Hacks Star Hannah Einbinder Arrested At Pro-Palestine Protest

Susan Sarandon and Hacks star Hannah Einbinder have been arrested alongside more than 100 protesters during a major pro-Palestine demonstration outside the United Nations in New York, where they were joined by a host of prominent LGBTQIA+ celebrities and allies.

The Emmy winning bisexual actor and Rocky Horror star were among protesters demonstrating against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he arrived in New York to address the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, September 24.

Footage from the demonstration showed Einbinder and Sarandon being led away by police with her hands restrained behind her back.

“Free Palestine,” Einbinder called out as she was escorted away.

“Netanyahu out of New York.”

The demonstration was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), with hundreds of protesters gathering near the United Nations.

According to Jewish Voice for Peace, around 400 Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian and Lebanese New Yorkers and supporters took part in the action, with more than 104 people ultimately arrested.

Reuters reported protesters blocked traffic near the UN and were warned by police to leave the roadway. While some moved to the footpath, others remained seated in the street and continued demonstrating before police began making arrests.

Oscar-winning actor Susan Sarandon was arrested while protesting Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at a UN general assembly in New York on Thursday.

Hannah Einbinder from HBO show Hacks, WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea Manning and Indya Moore from Pose were also among more than 100… pic.twitter.com/Z2CEG4ZYcg

— Novara Media (@novaramedia) September 25, 2026

Hannah Einbinder joined by major LGBTQIA+ stars

Einbinder and Sarandon were far from the only recognisable faces taking part in the protest, with the demonstration drawing an extraordinary collection of queer actors, comedians, musicians and activists.

Comedian Caleb Hearon, author and activist Glennon Doyle and whistleblower and activist Chelsea Manning were among the high-profile figures reported to have been arrested.

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ star Caleb Hearon gets arrested by NYPD while protesting against Netanyahu and ‘famine’ in Gaza.

The actor was arrested alongside Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder and over 100 activists who blocked a road near the UN. pic.twitter.com/QqO9WYt1Zl

— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) September 25, 2026

Other celebrities and public figures reported at the protest included Elliot Page, Cynthia Nixon, Indya Moore, Saturday Night Live star Sarah Sherman, comedian Mary Beth Barone, and Boygenius musicians Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker.

Page and Nixon attended the demonstration but were not detained, according to their representatives.

JVP said protesters wore shirts bearing slogans including “Fund People Not Bombs”, while signs and chants called for an end to US military support for Israel.

‘Let us not mistake the spectacle for the story’

Following her release, Hannah Einbinder addressed the attention generated by images of her arrest, urging people to focus instead on Palestinians and the ongoing conflict.

“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 against the people of Palestine and Southern Lebanon,” she wrote on Instagram, as reported by The National.

Einbinder criticised the United States Government over its continuing support for Israel before declaring:

“Let us not mistake the spectacle for the story: genocide is the headline, and it is time for it to end.”

Jewish actress Hannah Einbinder was arrested at pro Palestine protest for chanting arrest Netanyahu in NYC pic.twitter.com/eMGA71lrmV

— LPC (@landpalestine) September 24, 2026

Hannah Einbinder has remained outspoken on Palestine

The arrest follows several years of increasingly vocal advocacy from Einbinder, who is Jewish and has repeatedly spoken about separating Jewish identity from the actions of the Israeli Government.

Her stance made international headlines at the 2025 Emmy Awards when she won Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Ava Daniels in Hacks.

During her acceptance speech she concluded with the words “Free Palestine”, later telling reporters that she felt an obligation “as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the State of Israel”.

“Go Birds, F*** ICE and Free Palestine”

– Hannah Einbinder during her #EMMYs speech
pic.twitter.com/k8H6LdKnL6

— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) September 15, 2025

Earlier this year, while appearing at the Cannes Film Festival to promote the queer horror film Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Einbinder was asked whether she feared professional repercussions for continuing to publicly support Palestine.

“The cost of not speaking is higher,” she said in an interview reported by The Guardian.

“There is a greater toll in not speaking and you’ve just got to have your priorities straight. I am under no impression that my small career could ever measure up in comparison to even one human life. It’s an obligation and I will always do it.”

Einbinder also voiced her support for fellow performers who have spoken publicly about Palestine, including Sarandon, Melissa Barrera, Mark Ruffalo and Javier Bardem.