Mahmoud Khalil detention: 100 demonstrators arrested after protesting close to Manhattan's Trump Tower

The protests happened on Thursday in Manhattan.

The protest, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, began shortly after noon when demonstrators dressed in red shirts that read “Not in our Name” and “Jews Say Stop Arming Israel,” crammed into the Tower’s iconic golden atrium, reported CNN.

During the protest, the demonstrators were seen shouting  “Free Mahmoud Khalil” slogan and even unfurled banners that read “Never Again for Anyone”, “Jews Say Do Not Comply”, and “Come For One, Face Us All”, among others.

Ninety-eight people were later arrested and 50 were led from the lobby in zip ties and placed into awaiting police vehicles, according to the New York Police Department as quoted by CNN in its report.

No injury or damage to property was reported.

Mahmoud Kahlil

Mahmoud Khalil gained prominence during the Gaza War protest at Columbia University in the spring of 2024.

The incident gained prominence after the Trump administration arrested and moved to deport him.

Khalil remains in detention in Louisiana after a court hearing on Wednesday.

He is a Green Card holder.

John Chell, chief of department with New York City Police Department (NYPD) told Xinhua: "Within 10 minutes, we started responding here from the police department. Within 40 minutes, 50 minutes, we started making arrests. We ended up making 98 arrests of people trespassing, obstructing governmental administration in this building."

Khalil, on Thursday, sued Columbia University and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce to block the school from sharing student disciplinary records.

The committee even warned of federal funding cuts in case the university failed to comply.

Protests for Khalil's release have spread across New York, reflecting tensions over the administration's stance on anti-Semitism, immigration, and the Middle East within the week, Xinhua reported.

(With inputs from IBNS)