Archive · 23 Sep 2026
UN General Assembly’s Most Unforgettable Viral Moments
The United Nations General Assembly is a meeting where leaders from many countries give speeches.
Over the years, some speeches and protests became especially memorable.
Fidel Castro once spoke for nearly four and a half hours.
Nikita Khrushchev angrily banged on his desk during a 1960 meeting.
Hugo Chávez compared George W. Bush to the devil in 2006.
Muammar Gaddafi tore part of the UN Charter during a 2009 speech.
Other leaders used props, insults, or dramatic actions to make their points.
The article also describes an escalator stopping while Donald Trump was riding it, though the UN said it was an accident rather than sabotage.
Fidel Castro delivered the longest speech in UNGA history, speaking for 4 hours and 29 minutes in 1960.
Nikita Khrushchev’s desk-banging protests and alleged shoe-slamming became iconic moments of the 1960 session.
Hugo Chávez called George W. Bush “the devil,” while Muammar Gaddafi tore a page from the UN Charter in 2009.
Benjamin Netanyahu used a cartoon bomb in 2012, and Donald Trump called Kim Jong Un “Rocket Man” in 2017.
In 2024, Gilad Erdan shredded a UN Charter cover page; Trump later called a stopped escalator “sabotage,” which the UN disputed.
- Who
- World leaders and diplomats including Fidel Castro, Nikita Khrushchev, Hugo Chávez, Muammar Gaddafi, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Kim Jong Un and Gilad Erdan.
- What
- The article lists memorable, dramatic and widely shared moments from United Nations General Assembly sessions.
- When
- The examples span 1960 to 2024; the article says the 81st session’s high-level debate began on September 22.
- Where
- The United Nations General Assembly in New York.
- Why
- The moments involved leaders presenting political arguments, criticizing other governments, protesting UN actions or attracting public attention.
Critics and protesters
UN and opposing governments
Escalator stoppage
Critics and protesters
Donald Trump described the incident as “absolutely sabotage,” called it dangerous and urged that those responsible be arrested.
UN and opposing governments
The United Nations said the stop was not sabotage and was accidentally triggered when a videographer from Trump’s entourage bumped the emergency mechanism.
UN institutions and international policy
Critics and protesters
Muammar Gaddafi called the UN Security Council a “Terror Council,” while Gilad Erdan accused the General Assembly of destroying the institution’s founding values.
UN and opposing governments
The UN setting was used by other leaders to defend international diplomacy, present policy arguments and address conflicts and global challenges.
- Current session
- The article says the United Nations General Assembly is hosting its 81st session.
- Session theme
- “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.”
- Longest speech
- Fidel Castro spoke for 4 hours and 29 minutes in 1960.
- Gaddafi speech
- Muammar Gaddafi spoke for about 100 minutes in 2009 despite a 15-minute limit.
- Trump’s 2017 warning
- Donald Trump said the United States would “totally destroy North Korea” if forced to defend itself.
- Erdan protest
- Gilad Erdan shredded the cover page of the UN Charter in 2024 while protesting a vote on a Palestinian membership bid.
- Escalator incident
- Trump called a stopped escalator sabotage, while the United Nations said a videographer accidentally triggered its emergency stop.