Rowan Blanchard and other protesters blockade UN headquarters during Benjamin Netanyahu's visit

In a bold display of dissent, hundreds of protesters, including actor and activist Rowan Blanchard, were arrested outside the United Nations headquarters in Midtown Manhattan on Thursday, disrupting the motorcade route of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The protesters, comprising 25 Palestinian and Jewish New Yorkers, condemned Netanyahu's government's genocide in Gaza and demanded an end to US arms supplies.

The arrests took place as Netanyahu prepared to address the General Assembly, a move that sparked widespread outrage and condemnation. "As Jewish New Yorkers, we vehemently condemn Prime Minister Netanyahu's assault on Lebanon and genocide of Palestinians in Gaza," said Jay Saper of Jewish Voice for Peace. "We will continue to raise our voices in dissent until the United States government stops arming Israel and Palestinians are able to live with the full freedom and dignity they deserve."

The protest came just a week after pagers and walkie-talkies were detonated across Lebanon, killing at least 70 and maiming thousands of people. Israel's subsequent airstrikes killed over 500 people in a single day, one of the highest daily death tolls of any war in recent history.

Netanyahu's visit to New York also marks nearly a year of relentless bombing of Gaza, which has killed more than 41,000 Palestinians. The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for the prime minister's crimes against humanity.

The protesters, wearing red shirts that read "Stop Arming Israel" and unfurled banners that read "Stop the Genocide" and "No War Criminals Welcome in NYC," chanted "Stop Bombing Gaza" as they blocked the motorcade route outside the UN headquarters. The arrests kick off what is expected to be a daylong protest of Netanyahu, with hundreds anticipated outside the United Nations later in the afternoon.