Summary: Demonstrators gathered in New York City on Monday to demand that the United States block arms sales to Israel and end military support for the country. The demonstration ended with multiple detentions, according to organizers and police, and drew attention to recent regional strikes and U.S. domestic policy moves aimed at curbing protests.
Dozens of protesters were detained by police in New York City on Monday during demonstrations calling for Washington to halt arms sales to Israel and to end U.S. military backing for the ally. The antiwar group Jewish Voice for Peace said roughly 90 people were detained during the action. Among those taken into custody was Chelsea Manning, a former U.S. Army soldier and a well-known WikiLeaks source.
The New York City Police Department confirmed there were "multiple" arrests but did not supply a precise number. Video clips from the demonstration showed crowds assembling near the Manhattan offices of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. Participants chanted slogans including "stop the bombs," "end the killings" and "free Palestine," and voiced opposition to U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, Israel’s attacks in Lebanon and Israel’s assault on Gaza.
Other chants recorded at the scene included calls to "let Gaza live," "let Iran live" and "let Lebanon live." The demonstrations referenced a series of regional military actions: the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and Iran later launched strikes on Israel and on Gulf states that host U.S. bases. Reporting cited in the demonstration context notes that U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands and displaced millions.
Organizers and participants framed the New York action within a broader trend of domestic unrest and official responses. The administration of President Donald Trump has, according to reporting, moved to crack down on protests through measures including attempts to deport foreign students, threats to freeze funding for universities where protests occurred, and orders to screen immigrants' online comments. Those measures have encountered judicial challenges.
New York City was a central stage for pro-Palestinian protests in 2024. The demonstration on Monday underlined sustained scrutiny of U.S. military support for Israel, particularly from rights groups focused on Israel’s war in Gaza. That conflict has been described in reporting as having killed tens of thousands, caused a hunger crisis, internally displaced Gaza’s entire population, and prompted assessments of genocide from some scholars as well as a United Nations inquiry.
Israel maintains its actions are acts of self-defense following an October 2023 attack by Hamas-led militants that killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages being taken. The ongoing public protests and the official responses to them reflect continuing domestic and international friction over military conduct, humanitarian impacts and U.S. policy.
Contextual note: The facts above are drawn from public accounts of the demonstrations, the officials involved, and reporting on related regional military actions and domestic policy measures mentioned by protesters and analysts.