How many times was Susan Sarandon arrested? Actress’ activism explored amid recent arrest 

Susan Sarandon is no stranger to activism, and her latest arrest makes that clearer than ever. The seventy-nine-year-old Oscar winner was cuffed by the NYPD on Thursday at a protest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York City. Hacks star Hannah Einbinder was also detained at the same demonstration.

The protest was unscheduled, and demonstrators had been blocking an intersection when officers arrived. As per a spokesperson for the NYPD, the Community Affairs Bureau stepped in first with warnings before arrests were made.

"Members of the NYPD Community Affairs Bureau issued … warnings, advising participants that they should leave," shared the spokesperson.

Netanyahu was readying to address the United Nations General Assembly at the time. Agence France-Presse footage captured Sarandon being cuffed at the scene.

That being said, Thursday wasn't the first time the actress has been arrested for a cause. She was previously arrested in New York City in 1999, in Washington, D.C. in 2018, and in Albany, New York in 2023, bringing her total to four arrests. It is also worth noting she was detained as far back as 1982 in New York City.

Susan Sarandon reveals she is still losing movie roles over her views on Israel:

Thursday's protest drew more than just Susan Sarandon into the spotlight. As per a report shared by The Guardian, Democratic congressional candidate Darializa Avila Chevalier and New York City council member Chi Ossé were also taken into custody at the demonstration.

Meanwhile, things were equally tense inside the general assembly, where Netanyahu's speech triggered a walkout from dozens of envoys representing countries from around the world. Britain and France were among the nations he took aim at, both having recently moved toward recognizing the state of Palestine.

"They accuse Israel, tiny Israel, of colonialism – some colonialism. And who's accusing us? Among them are people in Britain and in France. For God's sakes, they invented the term," Netanyahu told the assembly.

Sarandon, known for her roles in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Dead Man Walking and The Witches of Eastwick, has been outspoken about Israel's war in Gaza for some time. That being said, her views have not come without consequences. Speaking to journalists at the Venice film festival this month, she revealed the professional toll her stance has taken.

"I've still had movies taken away recently because there are agencies that are telling people not to hire me still. But that's the power structure," she said.

Susan Sarandon went on to share that attitudes within her industry haven't shifted the way public opinion has.

"I think there has been a change in terms of the understanding of the situation and the general public, but there are still very strongly held positions within my industry that are held by Zionists and who have not relaxed their feelings towards me. But I found my family, I found my people, and I'm OK," she added.

Susan Sarandon on her 1999 arrest protesting the shooting of Amadou Diallo:

As per a report shared by Forbes, Sarandon's record of showing up for causes she believes in goes back decades. In 1999, she was arrested at a protest in New York City over the death of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant who was twenty-two years old at the time. Four police officers had shot at Diallo forty-one times near his Bronx home, a case that sparked widespread outrage across the country. That being said, the officers were ultimately cleared by a trial jury.

Sarandon was present at the demonstration and didn't hold back when speaking to reporters about why she felt compelled to be there.

"If we're not here today, then we're saying that what happened is acceptable and normal, and I think that does a disservice to the other police," she said.

Susan Sarandon was among hundreds detained on Capitol Hill protesting Trump's zero-tolerance border policy:

As per a report shared by CBS News, Sarandon's 2018 arrest came during one of the largest demonstrations Capitol Hill had seen in some time. She was among roughly five hundred and seventy-five people who had gathered at the Hart Senate Office Building in June of that year to push back against President Trump's immigration policies, particularly the practice of separating families at the southern border. Representative Pramila Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, was also present and was taken into custody alongside the group. The demonstrators, including Susan Sarandon, were charged with unlawfully demonstrating.

Susan Sarandon was arrested in Albany in 2023:

As per a report shared by New York Post, Sarandon's third arrest took place in May 2023 at the New York State Capitol in Albany. She had shown up alongside members of the organisation One Fair Wage, which had been pushing back against a minimum wage increase that left tipped restaurant workers out entirely. The group argued that this exclusion hit women and single mothers of color the hardest.

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Eight activists, including Sarandon, were taken into custody by state police after they refused repeated requests to clear the area they had been occupying inside the Capitol. They had asked to be arrested. Each of the eight was charged with a single count of disorderly conduct, processed, and released with appearance tickets. The New York State Police issued a statement regarding the incident.

"They were instructed multiple times to move to a safer location, but eight of the group's members refused and requested to be arrested. Those eight individuals were arrested, each for one count of Disorderly Conduct which is a violation-level offense. All have been processed and released with appearance tickets returnable to the Albany City Court on a later date," the statement concluded.

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