Led by the anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), hundreds of protesters attempted to hold a demonstration in a Manhattan building housing the offices of two Democratic senators, whom they accuse of aiding the intensification of Israeli attacks in Lebanon and the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
After being prevented from entering the building by security, the demonstrators blocked traffic outside, chanting "fund people, not bombs" as police arrested them.
Among the 90 detained were whistleblower Chelsea Manning, actress Hari Nef, and New York City Council member Alexa Aviles, a JVP spokesperson reported.
The protests were aimed at a set of resolutions introduced in the Senate by Bernie Sanders, which could block the sale of over $600 million worth of bombs to Israel.
Similar measures proposed by Sanders in the past have not passed. However, the latest attempt has gained support from more than half of the Democrats in the Senate amid widespread hunger and suffering in Gaza. Schumer and Gillibrand were not among those supporting the proposal.
On Monday, protesters warned that Israel's air and ground offensive in southern Lebanon, along with a broader U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, further heightens the urgency of the upcoming vote, expected later this week.
"This is the moment when Schumer and Gillibrand must listen to their constituents. The majority of Americans and New Yorkers want a solution to what the Israeli government is doing," stated a JVP spokesperson.