See Photos From the Massive Protest Against Netanyahu in NYC
Marchers took to the streets to demand an end to Israel’s mass killings of Palestinians as dozens walked out of the prime minister’s United Nations speech.
Thousands of demonstrators calling for an end to Israel's mass killings of Palestinians gathered in New York City's Times Square on Friday morning, September 26, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to the podium to address the United Nations (UN) General Assembly at around 9am.
About an hour later, the demonstrators marched toward the UN headquarters on the east side of Midtown Manhattan, where they were met with a heavy police presence and kettled across First Avenue. Protesters carried signs calling for Netanyahu to be arrested for perpetrating genocide, as characterized in a UN special report earlier this month, and drawing attention to the plight of children in Gaza. They chanted "Free Palestine!" and "Up with revolution, down with occupation," and called for an international arms embargo on Israel. Among the most striking protest art and placards were hand-painted signs, a small baby doll splattered in red paint, and a mirror written with the words "This is what you did during genocide."
William Chan, a New York City-based photographer and United States Army veteran, attended the demonstration in his military fatigues and stood alongside other veterans calling for the end of US participation in Israel's assault on Gaza.
"I love my country," Chan told Hyperallergic. "We are crumbling right now between imperialism and fascism ... But we can change it by being better."
Netanyahu's highly criticized visit comes as the death toll in Gaza surpasses 65,000 people since October 2023.
"We are helping Israel with genocide, and that is a moral crime," Chan said.
Inside the UN this morning, dozens of ambassadors reportedly walked out during Netanyahu's speech. In recent months, several nations, including France, Canada, and Britain, have declared their recognition of an independent Palestinian state, which Netanyahu emphatically rejected during his General Assembly speech. Netanyahu's address follows President Donald Trump's remarks to the assembly earlier this week, in which he stated that nations open to immigration were “going to hell."
This year's session is the 80th convening of the UN General Assembly, which voted overwhelmingly last week to let the Palestinian officials participate in the conference after Trump's government denied them visas to enter the US. (Only five countries voted against Palestinian participation in the diplomatic event, including Israel and the United States.)
Below is a selection of photographs from today's protest captured by Hyperallergic.
