Alec Baldwin Clashes With Protester Over 'Stupid Question'

Videos shared on social media show actor Alec Baldwin getting into a heated exchange with pro-Palestinian protesters in New York City on Monday evening.

The 30 Rock star was seen walking through an anti-Israel demonstration in Manhattan as hundreds of demonstrators swarmed Penn Station and Grand Central Terminal.

Newsweek reached out via email on Monday to Baldwin's representatives for comment.

At the time of publication, it was unclear what led to the confrontation or why protesters targeted Baldwin.

As the actor was walking near the pro-Palestinian demonstration, protesters spotted him and began accusing him of supporting Israel in the Middle Eastern nation's war with Hamas.

Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel left 1,200 dead and roughly 240 hostages were seized by the militant group. Israel subsequently launched its heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza, home to roughly 2.3 million people. Nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed, with the majority being women and children, according to Palestinian health officials. Israeli military officials say 118 soldiers have been killed during the country's ground invasion.

Pedestrians shared videos on X, formerly Twitter, of Baldwin getting into a tense altercation with participants at the pro-Palestinian rally.

Podcast host Lowkey posted on the social media platform that Baldwin was asked by protesters to condemn Israel and he refused.

"'That's a stupid question ...' Hollywood actor Alec Baldwin refuses to condemn Israel and squares up to pro-Palestinian protestors in New York," Lowkey posted on X.

X account Status Coup News posted a roughly one-minute, 40-second clip of Baldwin clashing with the crowd, where the actor can be heard yelling, 'Why don't you shut the f*** up," after getting heckled.

Independent reporter and photojournalist Katie Smith shared a roughly 30-second clip of Baldwin amid the confrontation.

"NOW: Actor Alec Baldwin, after walking through the protest and saying something to one of the protestors which apparently escalated the situation, is escorted away by a hoard of NYPD officers," Smith posted on X.

Jesse Hamilton, executive producer for NBC New York, shared a roughly 40-second video on X and said that Baldwin "just happened" to be in the area.

"Actor Alec Baldwin got into a confrontation with a pro-Palestinian demonstrator during a rally in Midtown Manhattan tonight," Hamilton said in the post. "Baldwin just happened to be walking through the area at the time."

Update 12/18/2023, 9:10 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information, videos and photos.