A large group of anti-Israel demonstrators flooded the dining area of Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday to protest the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University activist and leader of recent campus rallies.
The demonstrators, affiliated with the pro-Palestinian group Jewish Voice for Peace, were quickly detained by police.
Videos from the scene show at least 100 protesters, many wearing red shirts reading “Jews Say Stop Arming Israel,” gathering outside the Trump Grill restaurant around noon.
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The crowd held up signs with messages such as “Fight Nazis not students,” “No Muslim Ban Ever,” and “Jews for Palestinian Freedom.”
Protesters have OCCUPIED Trump TOWER in NYC chanting “Free Mahmoud, Free them All!”
I know the owner of that building and he will definitely be pressing charges.
FAFO.
— Marjorie Taylor Greene (@mtgreenee) March 13, 2025
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Shortly after the demonstration began, the New York Police Department moved in. By 12:30 p.m., officers started making arrests, leading protesters away in zip ties.
NYPD officials confirmed multiple arrests but did not provide an exact number.
#BREAKING: NYPD is now ARRESTING protestors who took over Trump Tower
FAFO!
DEPORT ANY ILLEGALS WITHIN THE GROUP! pic.twitter.com/r7DYp5HG7t
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 13, 2025
Witnesses said that by 1 p.m., the area around Trump Tower had been mostly cleared.
During the protest, organizers used a live stream on X to voice their demands.
“We are saying if you come for one of us, you face us all,” one protester declared.
Another speaker demanded the release of Khalil, stating, “Free Mahmoud and free Palestine.”
“As Jews, we refuse to be the scapegoats of fascism,” a protester said during the demonstration.
“We aren’t leaving, and we call on all people of consciousness to join us and refuse to comply with Trump’s regime’s attacks.”
The activist also called on universities to take a stronger stance. “Colleges and universities must stop complying in advance,” she said.
“Columbia and every other university must start taking active measures to protect their students. We call for all universities to protect freedom of speech, collective protest, and to defend their students.”
This demonstration follows a series of rallies in Lower Manhattan earlier in the week, where activists demanded Khalil’s release.
Khalil, the leader of Columbia United Apartheid Divest (CUAD), was arrested in New York City on Saturday by federal immigration authorities under the Trump administration.
His group has drawn controversy for its support of organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah and for its calls to “end Western civilization.”
Following his arrest, Khalil faces the potential revocation of his green card. However, a federal judge on Monday issued a temporary block against his deportation.
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