A dramatic protest unfolded at Trump Tower in New York City on Monday as around 150 activists entered the building’s public lobby to demand the release of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, who is currently detained by U.S. immigration authorities.
The demonstrators, organized by the group Jewish Voice for Peace, stripped off outer layers to reveal coordinated red T-shirts bearing slogans such as “Not in our name,” “Fight Nazis, not students,” and “Free Mahmoud, Free Palestine.”
The protest included singing, chanting, and sit-ins that lasted just over an hour before police moved in.
“We made 98 arrests,” said NYPD Chief John Chell, speaking to the Associated Press and NBC.
He added that no injuries or property damage were reported.
Who Is Mahmoud Khalil?
Khalil is a 30-years-old Syrian-born activist who served as a student negotiator during last year’s pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University.
The protests demanded the university divest from companies allegedly tied to Israel’s military operations in Gaza. The occupation of parts of the campus eventually led to violent clashes with police, arrests, and suspensions of several student activists.
Khalil, who is married to an American woman now eight months pregnant, was later arrested by U.S. immigration authorities.
According to the Trump administration, his detention is based on allegations that he “led activities associated with the terrorist organization Hamas”—a claim that has not yet been substantiated in public court records.
His green card—which granted him permanent residency in the U.S.—has since been revoked, and he is being held in an immigration detention facility in Louisiana.
A federal judge has temporarily blocked his deportation while his case is under appeal.
Administration’s Crackdown on Activism
President Donald Trump has cited national security concerns in connection with Khalil’s arrest.
“If you support terrorism… your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests and you are not welcome here,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Monday.
Khalil’s attorney has rejected the allegations, arguing that the activist is being punished for exercising his right to free speech and for publicly supporting the Palestinian cause.
‘We Know Our History’
Protesters framed Monday’s action as a moral response to what they see as creeping authoritarianism and state repression.
“We know our history, and we are here to say ‘never again,’” said Sonya Meyerson-Knox, communications director for Jewish Voice for Peace, in a statement to CNN.
“I am here in accordance with what my ancestors taught me… because I have been taught what happens when authoritarian regimes start scapegoating people,” she added.
With Khalil’s case still pending and tensions over U.S. policy on Israel-Palestine continuing to intensify, both activists and officials brace for more protests—and more legal battles—in the weeks ahead.
