Hunter Schafer was arrested on Monday for taking part in a pro-Palestine protest at 30 Rock, outside of Late Night With Seth Meyers, where President Biden was making an appearance. Schafer was protesting with Jewish Voice for Peace, a Jewish anti-Zionist organization that has fiercely condemned the actions of both Israel and the U.S. in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. An NYPD spokesperson told Variety that 30 protestors, including Schafer, were issued summonses for trespassing.
In an Instagram post featuring the Euphoria actress, JVP didn’t mince words about what its protest sought to accomplish. “The President needs to start listening to the American people — not the far-Right Israeli government indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, destroying 70% of infrastructure, including hospitals, universities and the electricity and water grids,” the organization wrote.
On Late Night, Seth Meyers questioned the president about Gaza, asking if there was “a safe future for the people who live there.”
“There is a path forward, with difficulty,” Biden responded. “First of all, there are — the hostages being held must be released.” According to reports, there are roughly 130 Israeli hostages currently being held in the Gaza Strip. “Ramadan’s coming up and there’s been an agreement by the Israelis that they would not engage in activities during Ramadan as well, in order to give us time to get all the hostages out,” Biden said.
Earlier in the day, the president and Meyers went to get ice cream, and Biden was asked by a reporter about the possibility of a cease-fire. He said that he hoped for a temporary one “by the end of the weekend.” “My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re not done yet,” he said. “My hope is by next Monday, we’ll have a cease-fire.”