At least 98 individuals were arrested on Thursday during a protest in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, demanding the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil, a pro-Palestinian Arab activist detained earlier this week by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to his role in anti-Israel protests at Columbia University, ABC News reported.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) confirmed that the protesters are facing charges of trespassing and resisting arrest.
Hundreds of Jewish protesters, clad in "Not in Our Name" t-shirts, staged a sit-in in Trump Tower's lobby. The demonstrators split into two groups, including several individuals who entered the public lobby area in civilian clothes, concealing their protest gear, according to police.
The NYPD noted its familiarity with the protest group and its tactics, stating that police were only called to the public lobby after Trump Tower security deemed it necessary.
The protesters held banners in support of Khalil, a leader in protests against the Gaza war at Columbia University, featuring slogans such as "Jews say Free Mahmoud & Free Palestine" and "Fight Nazis Not Students."
Khalil is currently being held in Louisiana after his detention in New York earlier this week. On Wednesday, a judge ruled that Khalil will remain in detention in Louisiana until at least next week.
The Trump administration says that Khalil supports Hamas. Baher Azmy, one of Khalil's attorneys, strongly rejected these allegations, calling the claim "false and preposterous."
Khalil’s arrest followed the Trump administration’s official announcement that it would revoke $400 million in federal grants due to Columbia’s handling of antisemitism.
Columbia has come under increased scrutiny over the rise in antisemitism on campus since the Hamas massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023.