New York [US], March 14 : Police arrested nearly 100 people after protesters gathered at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Thursday to demonstrate against the detention of Palestinian activist and Columbia University student, Mahmoud Khalil. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has detained Khalil over his involvement in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at Columbia University, CNN reported.
The protest, organised by Jewish Voice for Peace, started shortly after noon. Demonstrators, wearing red shirts with slogans such as "Not in our Name" and "Jews Say Stop Arming Israel" stormed into the Tower's iconic golden lobby.
The protesters shouted "Free Mahmoud Khalil" and unfurled banners that read "Never Again for Anyone" and "Jews Say Do Not Comply," as reported by CNN.
According to the New York Police Department (NYPD), 98 people were later arrested, and 50 were led from the lobby in zip ties and placed into awaiting police vehicles. It further said that no injuries or property damage were reported.
A protest organiser live-streamed the protest from the balcony overlooking the atrium of Trump Tower. In the video, the women said, "As Jews, we're here today, mere hours before the holiday of Purim begins - a holiday where we honour Esther who used her voice to speak out and demand that the king not commit genocide." She said, "Today, we are using her same courage to speak out."
As NYPD police moved in to arrest the protesters, they sat together and started shouting slogans like "Free Palestine" and "the whole world is watching," CNN reported.
The protest comes days after federal agents detained Khalil after the Trump administration cancelled his green card.
US President Donald Trump welcomed the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University student who led the pro-Palestinian protests on the campus, and strongly asserted that it is the "first arrest of many to come."
Trump stated on Monday (local time) that his administration would apprehend and deport the "terrorist sympathizers" from the US "never to return again."
"Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it," Trump said in a post on Truth Social.
"Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America's Colleges and Universities to comply. Thank you," he added.
Khalil's attorney has said the US government "retaliated" against her client for making statements in support of Palestinians and that he has been detained for exercising his right to Free Speech.
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