Protesters Occupy Trump Tower Over Detention of Pro-Palestinian Activist Mahmoud Khalil

Protests erupted inside Trump Tower on Thursday as demonstrators from Jewish Voice for Peace demanded the release of Mahmoud Khalil, a detained Columbia University activist and Palestinian student from Syria.

The protest, which resulted in nearly 100 arrests, drew over 250 participants who filled the lobby with chants of "Free, free Palestine!" and calls for Khalil's release.

Khalil, a graduate student at Columbia University and a green card holder, was arrested by federal immigration authorities outside his home and is currently being held in Louisiana. Protesters call his detention political, while the Trump administration says he led an anti-Israel protest coalition at Columbia, violating federal law on foreign nationals endorsing terrorist groups. Jewish Voice for Peace – which critics call an anti-Zionist group – argues his arrest is an attack on free speech.

This week's demonstration, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, saw participants wearing red shirts emblazoned with the words "Jews Say Stop Arming Israel" and carrying banners demanding Khalil's release. 

NYPD Chief John Chell described the scene: "About 150 protesters in civilian clothes came in the front entrance of Trump Tower in the atrium on 56th Street. This is a public access area."

PHOTO: New York Police officers arrest a protester who occupied Trump Tower in support of Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil, Thursday, March 13, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Chell added that police warned the crowd several times before making arrests. "We made 98 arrests - those arrested for trespassing, stopping government demonstration, and resisting arrest by virtue of us having to carry so many people out," Chell said. 

Sonya Meyerson-Knox, communications director for Jewish Voice for Peace, condemned Khalil's arrest as an attack on free speech and called for nationwide support.

"We are hoping to help spread the word and support the protests that are happening all over the country in support of Mahmoud Khalil, demanding that his unconstitutional abduction be revoked. Demanding he is freed but also calling on people everywhere to speak up now," said Meyerson-Knox.

PHOTO: Mahmoud Khalil has been detained, accused of organizing disruptive, antisemitic, pro-Hamas protests on the campus of Columbia University.

Meyerson-Knox also criticized the Trump administration's tactics, stating, "The Trump regime and cronies think that by targeting him, by targeting people who protest for Palestinian freedom and by targeting a Palestinian, that they will divide us. We know that nothing could be further from the truth."

Actress and activist Debra Winger also joined the protest, voicing her support for Khalil and condemning his detention. "I'm just standing up for my rights, and I'm standing up for Mahmoud Khalil, who has been abducted illegally and taken to an undisclosed location. Does that sound like America to you?" Winger said.

The Trump administration has pulled over $400 million in federal funding from Columbia University, citing the school's failure to combat antisemitism. In response, Columbia announced on Thursday that it had expelled or suspended students involved in occupying a building last year, with some diplomas being revoked.

Khalil's case could have far-reaching legal implications. His legal team has challenged his detention and potential deportation on constitutional grounds, and the case could reach the nation's highest court. This could set a precedent on whether lawful U.S. residents can be deported for engaging in activism that the government deems as support for terrorist groups.

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