In the wake of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York City, thousands took to the streets in protest that despite an ICC arrest warrant for allegations of war crimes he was still permitted to travel to the US. Over a hundred people were arrested at a sit-in among them the Hollywood movie star Susan Sarandon and activist and whistleblower Chelsea Manning.
REPEATED CHANTING:
“Sanction Israel right now!”
Sounds of thousands of protestors who gathered at Bryant Park in New York City to march to the headquarters of the United Nations on Thursday. The rally, organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement, followed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address at the UN General Assembly.
Isabella, a Palestinian Youth Movement organizer, said the Israeli leader was not welcome in the city.
ISABELLA OF THE PALESTINE YOUTH MOVEMENT:
“Today there is a genocidal war criminal in our city! And I’m born and raised here in the city and one thing about New Yorkers is, New Yorkers stand on business. And were we going to stand by as a war criminal who should be tried at the Hague is here in our city to normalize crimes against humanity and a genocide? Were we going to stay home as a war criminal normalizes the blood on his hands?”
More than 100 delegates and diplomates from 50 countries staged a coordinated walkout and booed as Netanyahu approached the podium. During his speech he called them “moral cowards,” and said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was “antisemitic,” and called the genocide in Gaza “the biggest lie of the century.”
Tal, an organizer with Jewish Voice for Peace said another protest occurred just prior to Netanyahu taking the stage.
TAL OF JEWISH VOICE FOR PEACE:
“While war criminal Netanyahu visits NY city, people of conscious taking to the streets all over the city saying now is the time to block the bombs, divest from genocide, and invest in life. Earlier today, while Netanyahu was about to speak at the podium of the United Nations, over 100 protestors from Jewish Voice for Peace, Palestinian Youth Movement, and other organizations, were arrested for shutting down the streets around the UN saying "Netanyahu is not welcome here!”
Nearly 400 individuals staged a sit-in on First Avenue, just blocks away from the UN prior to his speech with police arrests of Hollywood actress Susan Sarandon, Hannah Einbinder, activist, TV and FIlm actress Cynthia Nixon, activist and whistleblower Chelsea Manning, and politicians such as Brad Lander and Darializa Avila Chevalier. Among the protesters were many Orthodox Jewish Rabbis including Rabbi Dovid Feldman.
RABBI DOVID FELDMAN:
“When Benjamin Netanyahu stands up to the press yesterday and blames Mayor Mamdani of New York City as inciting hatred towards Jews, this is ridiculous hypocrisy. Who is inciting hatred towards Jews? It is Benjamin Netanyahu, mass murdering innocent men, women, and children, little babies in Gaza, and dares to do this in my name, in the name of all Jews. This is inciting hatred towards Jews. We must understand.”
In a statement, Mayor Mamdani said Netanyahu used his speech to “repeat baseless lies meant to sanitize his genocide of Palestinians” and that he “remains the subject of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
While Mamdani emphasized that New York City does not have the authority to arrest Netanyahu, protesters Thursday urged a full arms embargo on Israel, emphasizing New York’s complicity.
CHANTING (REPEATING, FADING OUT):
“Gaza!”
