Hunter Schafer's arrest in New York City, as she joined a demonstration calling for a ceasefire in Gaza while President Joe Biden taped a TV appearance, has sparked questions on social media.
The Euphoria star was among more than 30 protesters taken into police custody on Monday, after attending the rally, which was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP). The protest took place outside 30 Rockefeller Center, where Biden was due to make an appearance on NBC's Late Night With Seth Meyers.
"Hunter was arrested at the protest," a JVP spokesperson said in a statement. "We commend her commitment to Palestinian freedom and to a future of justice for everyone."
In a post shared on Instagram by JVP, Schafer, 25, was shown wearing a black top brandishing the words "Ceasefire Now." Video footage also showed Schafer chanting "No more weapons, no more war, ceasefires are worth fighting for."
JVP, which describes itself as "the largest progressive Jewish anti-Zionist organization in the world," captioned the post: "BREAKING: Hundreds of anti-Zionist Jews and allies just took over NBC's famed 30 Rockefeller Center headquarters in NYC to disrupt President Biden's appearance on @LateNightSeth. Biden's deadly foreign policy has funded and fueled genocide in Gaza. 50 protesters were arrested by the NYPD and Secret Service.
"The President needs to start listening to the American people—not the far-Right Israeli government indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, destroying 70% of infrastructure, including hospitals, universities and the electricity and water grids. #CeasefireNow #LetGazaLive #NotInOurName."
Newsweek has contacted representatives of Schafer via email for comment.
As news of Schafer's arrest circulated on X, formerly Twitter, a number of people questioned why the star of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was arrested.
"Arrested for protesting??? She did nothing wrong," wrote one X user.
"What the hell?" another remarked. "In what world are we living in where we cannot protest? Feels like a monarchy to me."
"Why would she get arrested for that?" read another comment on the platform.
"Now why oh why would they arrest her for peaceful protest?" asked another.
"She was fighting for freedom," stated another. "She didn't deserve to be arrested."
Amid the questions, some X users shared their belief that Schafer's arrest was justified, with one writing that the screen star was taken into custody because "she was inside of Rockefeller Center protesting."
The Middle East bloodshed erupted on October 7, when Hamas led a surprise attack in southern Israel that killed roughly 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages back to Gaza. Israel's response, massive airstrikes and a ground invasion, has killed nearly 30,000 Palestinians in the territory, many of them women and children, according to Reuters, citing Gaza's health ministry.
The Palestinian civilian death toll and distressing images of children dead in the rubble of bombed buildings have resulted in mounting international calls for a ceasefire and increased pressure on Biden to take a tougher line on Israel.
Despite the increasing condemnation over civilian deaths and demands for a ceasefire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said that the army will continue its offensive to destroy Hamas, bring home the remaining hostages and stop Gaza from posing a threat.
While the U.S. has provided longtime ally Israel with military assistance amid the fighting, Biden has urged Netanyahu to limit civilian casualties in Gaza, but the president has been heavily criticized for not doing enough as the bloodshed continues.
On Monday, Biden provided a spontaneous update on hostage negotiations while responding to reporters' questions after taping his segment for Late Night.
The president's remarks on the ceasefire deal came after active negotiations resulted in Israeli officials tentatively agreeing to terms that would lead to a six-week pause in fighting in exchange for the release of roughly 40 hostages, according to The New York Times. Israeli officials are scheduled to meet in Qatar with mediators from that nation, the United States and Egypt, the outlet reported.
While speaking with reporters during a stop at an ice-cream shop in New York City, Biden appeared to be hopeful about a deal. When asked if he had a sense of when the ceasefire would start, the president said: "I hope by the end of the weekend."
"My national security adviser tells me that we're close," Biden continued. "We're close. We're not done yet. My hope is by next Monday, we'll have a ceasefire."
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
