About 90 protesters detained at N.Y.C. rally against Israel arms sales
Police detained roughly 90 demonstrators, including Chelsea Manning, who blocked traffic in Manhattan protesting U.S. weapons shipments to Israel.
11:09 PM
Police in New York detained approximately 90 people Monday during a protest against U.S. arms sales to Israel, held outside the Manhattan offices of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.
The demonstrators, organized by groups including Jewish Voice for Peace, blocked traffic by sitting down in the middle of Third Avenue in Midtown. Among those detained was Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who leaked classified documents to WikiLeaks.
The protest was tied to an effort by Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont, to halt weapons shipments to Israel. Sanders announced Monday morning that he would force a vote on legislation to block the sale of nearly half a billion dollars' worth of bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military. Other sources cited figures of more than $600 million in weapons bound for Israel's military.
Police confirmed the detentions Monday night. The demonstration drew participants united in opposition to continued U.S. military aid to Israel, with organizers calling for an end to weapons sales as part of broader anti-war messaging.