Protestors march in the streets holding a Palestinian flag.
GRACE MCKEOWN / THE QUADRANGLE
Zendrah Bonnick & Grace Mckeown , Asst. News Editor & Contributor
On Sept. 22, UN General Assembly world leaders met and discussed their nation’s developments, foreign policy, and opposed the stances or actions of other nations.
As a consequence of the gathering of national leaders, the public organized in protest to address multiple world leaders who have been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity and were present at the UN General Assembly.
In a statement issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a warrant issued for his arrest since Fall 2024. However, despite this, Netanyahu was present at the event. Protests took place throughout NYC between Sept. 22 and 28, focusing on human rights concerns related to the Iran war, the Gaza Strip, and perceptions of the UN’s effectiveness. Netanyahu presented a speech to the UN General Assembly on the defense of Israel and his intention to target Iran and Hezbollah.
The ICC warrant stated, “[Netanyahu] —Allegedly responsible for the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare and of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts from at least 8 Oct. 2023 until at least 20 May 2024.”
Beyond the allegations made by the ICC, many civilians, various journalist and political organizations which include the UN Commissioner of Inquiry, have all accused Israel of enacting genocide against the Palestinian people. In addition to this, Netanyahu has been accused of creating an apartheid state in the Gaza Strip and West bank, targeting and trapping civilians.
while marching in NYC
GRACE MCKEOWN / THE QUADRANGLE
The Israeli Prime Minsters denied the accusations made by several nations, the public, and organizations dedicated to the study of genocides, stating Israel is enacting, “opposite of genocide.”
The Health Ministry has stated earlier this summer that there have been over 73,000 documented killings of Palestinians since Oct. of 2023.
The Israeli Prime Minsters’ speech was met with numerous world leaders walking out of the general assembly.
Public opinion regarding the Israeli’s prime minister, have been increasingly oppositional on the global scale.
Some of the protestors to the UN General Assembly, and U.S. President Trump and Prime Minster Benajamin Netanyahu included: celebrities, lawmakers, the old and the young who organized in a protest for the lives of people thousands of miles away.
Different forms of protests ranged throughout the day, with a sit-in on First Avenue, marches from Bryant Park to the UN. The sit-in included over 400 people, the Jewish Voice for Peace and NYC Democratic Socialist of America were event organizers.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s actions and alliance with Netanyahu has also been a driving force for protestors.
At the Assembly Netanyahu reinforced that they are aligned, “{We have] No greater partner than President Trump,” In the same speech the Israeli Prime Minster also referred to Palestinian and Iranians as their opposition in the “Battle against barbarians.”
“I have a big decision to make… will a deal be made that allows Iran to rebuild into the greatest country than it ever was before, maybe one of the greatest in the middle east or even the world. Or do I annihilate the Islamic republic and do it quickly never giving them a chance to kill and destroy people and countries again,” President Trump said at the UN General Assembly.
The statement was reminiscent of a post the president made earlier this year, on April 7, the U.S. president stated, on Truth Social, “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again,” he wrote.
“… Now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death, will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran! Do I drive them into hell with no chance of survival and no hope for future greatness or generations?” He added.
The initial post on Truth Social by the U.S. president raised public objections from the public. In response to his statement of Iran earlier this year, the Raphael Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention, a nonprofit, nongovernmental research institute that research and documents genocide, and risks or crimes against humanity, issued a statement.
“In just one year of this administration’s virtually unchallenged brutality against immigrants and trans people at home and support for one of the world’s most brutal genocides abroad, the U.S. government seems to have begun to embrace genocidal thinking in all of its conduct at home and abroad,” the institute stated, adding that the United States “is on its way to becoming a genocidal state” and describing such states as those that incorporate “genocidal thinking, genocidal strategies, and genocidal tactics” into government and policy.
The U.S. President went on to describe recent developments and plans for the U.S.
“But I believe [they] will make a deal right after the election because it doesn’t make sense for them not to,” President Trump told the U.N., referring to the midterm elections. He added that “in the very near future massive munition plants will be open,” with 18 plants under construction, which he said would allow the U.S. to supply allies with missiles and ammunition “at a much faster rate.”
In protests earlier that week, the NYC-DSA hosted a conference at the John F. Kennedy Airport, demanding the halt of explosive and cargo shipments that are military aid sent to Israel. During the protest, they were told by the NYPD to be moved or arrested; from there, 103 people were detained. Aljazera spoke to JVP organizer Jess Frankel Carrel at the protest.
“We don’t want our tax dollars spent bombing children. We want them to fund schools here… Many of my comrades were arrested, and we will stay here. We will stay fighting until the genocide is over,” Carrel told Aljazeera.
Among group of people that were arrested were actor Susan Sarandon and Hannah Einbinder, the city councilman were Chi Osse and congressional candidate Darializa Chevalier. Later that day, a march broke out from Bryant Park, which was organized by the Palestinian Youth Movement and The People’s Forum. These protests had thousands of marchers, opposing the use of tax dollars on bombing children, calling for justice not genocide.
On the day of the assembly, President Trump called on nations to “join us enforcing the complete economic isolation of Iran” until it ends attacks on commercial shipping, abandons its nuclear ambitions and stops supporting terrorism. He also claimed that “a few weeks ago, we ended the war in Gaza,” adding, “My great honor to settle 8 wars.”
Contrary to this, there have been numerous reports of attacks by the Israeli Defensive Forces in the Gaza strip days after the U.S. president made this statement. With six reported deaths of Palestinians the week the president’s statement was made.