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More than 100 people were arrested in New York on Thursday during protests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The protests took place around First Avenue and East Street in Manhattan as Netanyahu was due to address the UN. The New York Police Department said 103 people were arrested on charges of disorderly conduct. All of them were later released.
More than 400 people, including activists, organisers and politicians, took part in a sit-in near the UN earlier in the day, according to Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). The protest, led by JVP and NYC-Democratic Socialists of America, blocked part of First Avenue ahead of Netanyahu’s speech.
Protesters criticised US support for Israel and called for an end to American military assistance. Nas Issa, a member of the Palestinian Youth Movement and a JVP activist, accused US President Donald Trump and Netanyahu of using the UN General Assembly to promote their political positions.
NYC-DSA had also held a news conference at John F Kennedy International Airport a day earlier, calling for an end to shipments of military equipment and explosives destined for Israel and greater transparency over previous military aid shipments.
Police ordered the protesters to clear the road before making arrests. Organisers said nine elected officials and political candidates were among those detained.
Protests continued during Netanyahu’s address, with thousands of demonstrators marching towards the UN headquarters in a separate rally organised by the Palestinian Youth Movement and The People’s Forum.
In his speech, Netanyahu rejected accusations that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza, calling the allegation the “greatest lie of the century”. He said Israel had taken measures to protect Palestinian civilians.
He also criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, calling him “anti-Semitic” and accusing him of spreading falsehoods about Israel. Netanyahu claimed that many Jews had stopped feeling safe in New York since Mamdani’s election.