“Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer was arrested Monday during a ceasefire protest at 30 Rockefeller Plaza during President Joe Biden’s visit to “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”
Shafer, who plays Jules in the gritty HBO teen drama, was among dozens of people detained following the demonstration, which arose from Israel's war in Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7.
“Jewish Voice for Peace can confirm that Hunter Schafer attended the Jewish Voice Peace interruption inside the 30 Rock lobby, held while President Biden was in the building for his interview with Seth Meyers on Monday afternoon,” a spokesperson said. of Jewish Voice for Peace, the progressive group that organized the rally, said Wednesday in a statement to the Times.
“Hunter was arrested at the protest, along with 50 other people,” the spokesperson said. “We commend his commitment to Palestinian freedom and a future of justice for all.”
The 25-year-old actor, who recently starred in “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes,” was photographed holding large signs inside the plaza's lobby during the protest and was also photographed being escorted away by police. The images were published on the JVP New York Instagram account.
The New York City Police Department confirmed to the Times on Wednesday that a “total of 30 people were arrested” during Monday's demonstration, which ended around 6 p.m.
“30 people were issued 2 citations for trespassing and disorderly conduct,” a department spokesperson said. They did not provide identifying information for Schafer.
A representative for Schafer did not immediately respond Wednesday to the Times' request for comment.
“Hundreds of Jews and anti-Zionist allies just stormed NBC's famous 30th Rockefeller Center headquarters in New York to disrupt President Biden's appearance on @LateNightSeth. Biden's deadly foreign policy has financed and fueled the genocide in Gaza. 50 protesters were arrested by the NYPD and the Secret Service,” Jewish Voice for Peace wrote on Instagram.
“The president needs to start listening to the American people, not the far-right Israeli government that is indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, destroying 70% of the infrastructure, including hospitals, universities, and electricity and water networks. #CeasefireNow #LetGazaLive #NotInOurName,” the post read.
Hundreds of protesters filled the lobby of the television studio, where Biden was due to appear on Monday, wearing black T-shirts that read “Not in our name” as the president's motorcade rolled into midtown Manhattan, JVP said. Protesters chanted “let Gaza live” and unfurled banners reading “Never again for anyone” inside the golden lobby.
Biden, whose U.S. representatives at the United Nations vetoed a humanitarian ceasefire resolution last week, discussed next steps with Israel and the upcoming election during his appearance on “Late Night.” She (she also joked that a possible endorsement from influential superstar Taylor Swift was “classified”).
Meyers specifically asked the leader about the people of Gaza and the “horrible images” emerging from the region as Palestinians seek refuge in Rafah.
“There is a difficult path forward,” Biden said. “First of all, the [Israeli] The held hostages must be released. And we have, at least in principle, an agreement that there will be a ceasefire as long as that takes place.”
He also said he is working on “a process to reach a two-state solution” that “guarantees the security of Israel and the independence of the Palestinians.”
“There are too many innocent people being killed and Israel has slowed down the attacks on Rafah and they have committed to me to ensure that there is capacity to evacuate significant portions of Rafah before they leave.” and eliminate the rest of Hamas,” she said.
According to the Associated Press, Israel and Hamas on Tuesday downplayed the chances of an imminent breakthrough in Gaza ceasefire talks.
