Hannah Einbinder Led Away Chanting 'Free Palestine' as Police Clear an Anti-Netanyahu Sit-in in New York

Actress Hannah Einbinder was led away by police chanting 'Free Palestine' on Thursday as officers cleared an anti-Netanyahu sit-in near the United Nations in New York, where more than 400 protesters gathered and 104 were arrested during the Israeli leader's General Assembly address.

A Jewish-Led Protest Outside the United Nations

Einbinder, the Emmy-winning star of 'Hacks', was one of the best-known faces among those detained by the New York Police Department for sitting in traffic on First Avenue near 39th Street, a few blocks south of the UN headquarters. Video shared widely online showed her calling out 'Free Palestine! Get Netanyahu out of New York!' as officers walked her away.

The rally was organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish activist group that backs Palestinian rights, a detail that complicates the simple pro-Palestinian-versus-Israel framing readers might expect. Demonstrators chanted 'Stop arming Israel, let Gaza live', held up red banners, and wore shirts reading 'fund people not bombs' as Benjamin Netanyahu addressed world leaders inside.

Oscar winner Susan Sarandon, 79, was detained alongside Einbinder, with photographers capturing the 'Thelma & Louise' star waiting to be transported. Comedian Caleb Hearon was also taken into custody, while Elliot Page, Chelsea Manning, and Sarah Sherman were among those who joined the demonstration. Actress Cynthia Nixon attended the protest but was not among those arrested, and New York City council member Chi Osse was detained.

Einbinder's Public Stance Carries Personal Weight

For Einbinder, the moment fit a pattern she set on a far bigger stage. At the 2025 Emmy Awards, she closed her acceptance speech for best supporting actress in a comedy with a call to 'free Palestine', then explained backstage that she felt an 'obligation as a Jewish person to distinguish Jews from the state of Israel'.

She has since signed the Film Workers for Palestine pledge, which commits industry professionals to avoid working with Israeli institutions they view as complicit in the war. Her Thursday detention turned a repeated public position into a physical act of protest, one carried out in handcuffs.

Sarandon Says Her Activism Still Costs Her Roles

Sarandon's presence carried its own history. Speaking at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month while promoting her new film 'The Echo Chamber', she said she was still losing work over her support for Palestinians, telling reporters that agencies were warning people not to hire her.

United Talent Agency dropped Sarandon in 2023 after remarks she made at a pro-Palestinian rally in New York.

Her Venice comments put a specific cost of a political stance that can quietly close the door on major studio work in Hollywood today.

What the Detentions Signal for Hollywood

The scene outside the UN brought together performers willing to accept legal and professional risk for the cause. Dozens of delegates walked out as Netanyahu spoke, mirroring the street protest a short distance away.

For entertainment readers, the story lands where celebrity, conviction, and consequence meet. Einbinder chanting on a Manhattan street, months after saying the same words on Emmy night, shows the continuing connection between her public activism and her entertainment career.