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Hunter Schafer, 25, was among several protesters arrested during president Joe Biden’s appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, organizers confirmed.
The Euphoria star was among 100 demonstrators who packed the lobby of NBC’s headquarters in Manhattan on Monday afternoon. The group’s intention was to call for a ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war and protest Biden’s appearance on the talkshow, the group Jewish Voice for Peace confirmed in an Instagram post.
Schafer Among 30 Individuals Taken Into Custody
“Our Jewish tradition teaches us that life is precious,” said Jay Saper of Jewish Voice for Peace in a statement for Vulture. “As Jewish New Yorkers we are absolutely outraged that President Biden is actively supporting a genocide against the Palestinians of Gaza.”
A spokesperson for the NYPD’s Office of the Deputy Commissioner, Public Information, told Deadline: “On Monday, February 26, 2024, at approximately 1630 hours, there was a demonstration at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, in the confines of the Midtown North Precinct. The demonstration concluded at 1800 hours. A total of 30 individuals were taken into custody. Thirty individuals were issued summonses for Trespass.”
Schafer was pictured wearing a shirt that read “Ceasefire Now” among others sporting “Let Gaza Live” and “Not In Our Name,” as per images of the event courtesy of Jewish Voice for Peace.
“We commend her commitment to Palestinian freedom and to a future of justice for everyone,” Sonya Meyerson-Knox, of Jewish Voice for Peace, said to confirm the arrest.
A Means to an End
Biden said on Monday that he was campaigning for a ceasefire, which he hoped would commence over the next few days.
“I hope by the end of the weekend,” he told reporters following his Late Night With Seth Meyers interview. “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.”
Schafer’s most recent Instagram post was flooded with comments from pro-Palestine followers who commended and thanked her for using her platform to defend Palestinians with no voice.
“She was arrested for using her voice, no weapons, no violence… where will we end up,” one wrote.
“Thanks for actually taking a stand, unlike most of the folks in your industry,” another said.
As a trans woman, Schafer has been a long-time activist for LGBTQ+ rights, specifically the gender non-conforming community. She was listed as the youngest plaintiff in ACLU’s lawsuit, Carcaño v. McCrory, which prevented trans people from using the bathrooms that corresponded with their gender identity.
Schafer’s support led to the bill’s repeal.