Protesters burn Netanyahu effigy near UN as 103 arrested in New York

Pro-Palestinian protesters set fire to an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near UN headquarters as he addressed the General Assembly, while New York police arrested 103 demonstrators who blocked First Avenue.

Pro-Palestinian protesters set fire to an effigy of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu near United Nations headquarters in New York on September 24, the day he addressed the UN General Assembly. The effigy, dressed in a striped prison uniform with a rope around its neck, was set alight on the pavement as police officers stood nearby.

More than 400 people staged a sit-in that blocked First Avenue near the UN, and thousands joined a separate march later in the day. The New York Police Department said 103 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and all were later released. Nine of those detained were elected officials or candidates, including Darializa Avila Chevalier, the Democratic nominee for New York’s 13th congressional district.

The protests were organized by groups including Jewish Voice for Peace, New York City Democratic Socialists of America, the Palestinian Youth Movement and The People’s Forum. “We don’t want our tax dollars spent bombing children,” said JVP organizer Jess Carrel.