On the red carpet at the 2026 Goya Awards in Barcelona, Susan Sarandon looks straight into the lens. Her portrait accompanies a story in which the actress once again asserts her political commitments. Credit: Pedro J Pacheco / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Susan Sarandon was arrested on Thursday, September 24, 2026, in Manhattan during a protest against Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to the UN. The sit-in was calling for an end to U.S. arms shipments to Israel. Police report more than a hundred arrests and say those detained were released after being issued summonses. Several film figures took part in this action against the war in Gaza.
A Sit-In Near United Nations Headquarters
AFP images show New York police officers handcuffing the Thelma & Louise star. The intervention took place on the sidelines of the Israeli prime minister’s trip. He was there to address the United Nations General Assembly, which brings together the organization’s member states.
The gathering occupied the intersection of First Avenue and 39th Street, a few blocks from UN headquarters. In its September 24 statement, Jewish Voice for Peace, an American anti-Zionist Jewish organization, places the action there. It says more than 400 people took part in the sit-in.
JVP aimed to confront the U.S. government over its military support for Israel. The organization frames the action as a protest against what it calls genocide in Gaza. Ending arms shipments is at the top of its demands. The timing was meant to make this opposition visible while the Israeli leader was in New York.
Summonses After The Arrests
The New York Police Department, or NYPD, says it was responding to an unpermitted gathering that was disrupting traffic. According to a spokesperson, officers asked protesters to leave the roadway, but several participants continued occupying the intersection. Police describe their refusal to disperse as the reason for the intervention.
The NYPD reports more than a hundred arrests. It says everyone detained was released. They were issued summonses to appear in court for disorderly conduct, according to police.
These summonses do not amount to a conviction. The date of a court appearance for Susan Sarandon and the details of the case against her were not specified. The overall account of the operation therefore does not allow for further detail on her individual case.
Hannah Einbinder Also Arrested
Hacks star Hannah Einbinder is also among those arrested. Her arrest, mentioned by JVP, is also documented by the Associated Press. The presence of the two actresses places this mobilization within public opposition to the war in Gaza by part of American cinema.
JVP also names Cynthia Nixon and Elliot Page among the participants, without including them in its list of people arrested. The gathering also included elected officials and candidates for political office. The organization says it brought together Jewish, Palestinian, Iranian, and Lebanese New Yorkers.
In Venice, Susan Sarandon Said She Was Still Losing Roles
For Susan Sarandon, this activism extends to festivals as well. In early September, she spoke at a press conference at the Venice Film Festival. She said her positions on Israel continued to cost her roles. In these remarks reported by AFP, she accused some agencies of advising against hiring her. This is her account of the professional consequences she says she is facing.
The Dead Man Walking actress had already been dropped by United Talent Agency. That decision followed comments about American Jews and the rise of antisemitism. She later apologized. She acknowledged that her wording could wrongly suggest that Jews had not faced persecution before.
In Venice, she contrasted the shift she perceived in public opinion with the hostility she said she still encounters in her industry. Her participation in the New York sit-in extends this activism, a few weeks after that statement about her difficulties in Hollywood.