New York City police detained nearly 100 protesters on Monday during a demonstration against United States arms sales to Israel. The action took place outside the Manhattan offices of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand at 780 Third Avenue in Midtown.

Organized primarily by the antiwar group Jewish Voice for Peace, around 200 demonstrators gathered shortly after noon. They first attempted a sit-in inside the senators' offices but were blocked by security. The crowd then moved to the street, where protesters sat down in the middle of Third Avenue and blocked traffic for about an hour. Chants included "stop the bombs," "fund people, not bombs," "free Palestine," and calls to let Gaza, Iran, and Lebanon "live."

Jewish Voice for Peace reported that approximately 90 people were detained, including former Army intelligence analyst and WikiLeaks source Chelsea Manning, actor Hari Nef, and New York City Council Member Alexa Avilés. The New York Police Department confirmed multiple arrests but provided no detailed breakdown of offenses or charges. Officers loaded the detainees onto three buses.

The protesters urged Schumer and Gillibrand to support resolutions introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders to block more than $600 million in bomb sales to Israel, with a vote expected later this week. Sanders announced on social media his intent to force a vote on halting nearly half a billion dollars in bombs and bulldozers to the Israeli military. Previous similar efforts had mixed results, with one summer measure gaining support from over half of Senate Democrats.

Sonya Meyerson-Knox, communications director for Jewish Voice for Peace, said, "This is the moment when Schumer and Gillibrand must listen to their constituents. The majority of Americans and New Yorkers want a resolution to what the Israeli government is doing." Spokespeople for the senators did not immediately respond to inquiries.

The protest occurred amid ongoing U.S. scrutiny of military aid to Israel, which has faced criticism over its operations in Gaza since a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, that killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages. Israel has described its actions as self-defense. Demonstrators also highlighted Israel's air and ground offensive in southern Lebanon and recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, following a two-week ceasefire after escalations in February. New York City has been a hub for pro-Palestinian demonstrations since 2024.

No injuries were reported from the event.