According to the British newspaper The Guardian, on September 24 local time, during a speech by Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the United Nations General Assembly, protest activities broke out outside the United Nations headquarters in New York. Over a hundred people were arrested. This speech also led to dozens of United Nations representatives leaving the room in protest.
This protest is one of several protests against Netanyahu this week. Hundreds of New Yorkers participated, including Jews, Palestinians, Iranians, Lebanese, as well as many elected officials, candidates for the November elections, and several public figures.
Many people wore T-shirts that read 'Spend to help people, not bombs', and shouted slogans such as 'Let Gaza live' and 'The whole world is watching'. The protesters sat in the middle of the road for over an hour, forcing official vehicles headed to the United Nations to take a detour.
Protesters waved banners calling for an end to genocide, and flew a kite with the words "Free Palestine" written on it. Organizers of the event said this was in response to Israel's earlier claim that it would attack Palestinian children who fly kites.
On September 24 local time, protesters gathered outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York to protest against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Associated Press
Several hours later, a group of about thousands of people marched from Bryant Park in the vicinity to the United Nations, protesting against Netanyahu’s visit to New York. The protesters wore headscarves and carried Palestinian flags, marching to the accompaniment of a brass band and drummers. They held banners demanding sanctions against Israel from the member states of the United Nations; some of the banners featured photographs of Netanyahu.
The Palestinian youth movement’s Nas Issa organized this afternoon’s protest. He said: “The United States, Trump, and Netanyahu are using the United Nations as a platform to promote their own worldview, a worldview based on force, aggressive international crimes, and endless illegal wars. Member states of the United Nations must challenge the privileges that the United States and Israel have enjoyed for decades, especially in the three years since the outbreak of genocide in Gaza.”
The political director of the 'Jewish Action for Peace' organization, who coordinated the first off-site protest in the United Nations, Beth Miller, said: 'Today we make it clear that New Yorkers, including Jewish residents of New York, do not want war criminals and planners of genocide to come to our city. For years we have been calling out this issue, especially over the past three years, when Israel caused more than 75,000 deaths among Palestinians in this genocide. It should be noted that this is a significantly understated number.'
When Netanyahu attended a United Nations meeting, protest activities were commonplace. However, as Israel continued to destroy Gaza, its international isolation deepened. This year's protests reflected growing dissatisfaction among American citizens towards their government’s continuous support for the Israeli military.
Actress Hanna Eibinger has long been vocal about Palestinian human rights issues. She was arrested before the protest on Thursday. She said, "When our government fully supports Palestinian genocide, we will not remain silent. This moment requires each of us to step forward and demand that the United States stop funding genocide."
The military doctor Hamawi, who participated in medical aid missions in Gaza in 2024, told The Guardian during the police arrest operation: "We were prepared for what needed to be done. There was no need for us to take action to stop the genocide. There was an institution that should uphold international law right before our eyes, yet we were asked to invite Netanyahu as a guest, rather than sending him to The Hague for trial as a war criminal. It was absurd that we had to go out onto the streets to protest."
The New York Police Department has not confirmed the total number of arrests, but organizers estimate that there are more than 100 people arrested. The office of New York Mayor Sergio Massellani has not responded to requests for comment.
The report indicates that this protest posed a challenge for Mamdani. He had promised to arrest Netanyahu if he came to New York, and has consistently claimed that his government protects the right of New Yorkers to protest.
Mamdani has repeatedly labeled Netanyahu a “war criminal” and a “person unwelcome in New York”. However, earlier this year, he admitted that he had no legal authority to order arrests and instead called on the federal government to take action. At a press conference earlier this week, Mamdani said that he did not intend to participate in any protests outside of the United Nations, but explicitly stated that New York citizens have the right to protest.
He said, “To New Yorkers, I have never encouraged them to protest. I always told them that in this city, they have this right. We respect this right, and this city takes pride in the Constitution and the First Amendment.”
The report mentioned that the sentiment against Israel’s war in Gaza within the United States has led to a significant shift in public opinion regarding Israel. This change is beginning to influence American elections: earlier this year, dozens of left-wing candidates openly called for ending U.S. aid to Israel during the primaries, and they succeeded in winning election. In the past, candidates for public office were required to unconditionally support Israel; today, in some voting districts, such unconditional support has become a burden in the campaign.
According to the Associated Press and South China Morning Post, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a speech during the general debate of the 81st United Nations General Assembly on September 24, local time.
He claimed that the accusations of genocide committed by Israel in Gaza are “the biggest lie of this century”. He also said that attacking Iran was “one of the easiest decisions he ever made”.
According to reports, when Netanyahu stepped onto the stage, there were both cheers and boos in the crowd, and there was a large number of people leaving the venue. After representatives from several countries left in protest, most seats in the venue were empty.
Netanyahu said, "While Israel is defending itself, it is also protecting many countries. The representatives of those countries have just left this hall. In fact, I want to let you know that many of their leaders even privately thanked us for destroying Iran's nuclear weapons."
"If there are any cowards who have not yet left the venue, please leave immediately." he said.
According to the Gaza health department, at least 73,922 Palestinians lost their lives in Israeli attacks after October 7, 2023. Many governments have accused Israel of committing war crimes. Netanyahu himself has received an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court, being charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes.
