The New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested nearly 100 people on Thursday, March 13, 2025, following a sit-in at Trump Tower in New York City. The protest was in support of pro-Palestinian Columbia University activist Mahmoud Khalil, who had been arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over the weekend.
The demonstration at Trump Tower began at around 11:30 a.m. Approximately 150 individuals entered the building in civilian clothes. Once inside, they removed their outer shirts to reveal red t-shirts bearing pro-Palestinian slogans. They then staged a sit-in.
According to videos from inside the building, the group proceeded to a public area inside the building, where they began chanting “Free Mahmoud,” referencing Khalil. Additional footage shows several of the protesters sitting in the lobby, clapping, and chanting “Free Palestine.”
NYPD Chief of Department John Chell praised the police department’s response to the protest. He said, “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.”
Chell highlighted the professionalism of the NYPD, noting there was no damage to property and no injuries. He added, “We secured this building, we secured this perimeter, and we removed people who were under arrest. I am very happy with the professionalism that we showed today. Quite frankly, there was no damaged property, no injuries, and we cleared this up within two hours – a big task for the NYPD.”
Chell also emphasized the NYPD’s experience in dealing with similar situations. He stated, “The NYPD, the city, since October 7th ’23, has handled over 5,000 protests. We’re the best in the business at what we do, and I think we demonstrated today what a professional organization we are and how well we do it.”
The protest was organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, an anti-Zionist Jewish group. Among the protesters was actor Debra Winger. Tal Frieden of Jewish Voice for Peace criticized the Trump administration, saying, “We’re seeing the Trump regime weaponize antisemitism to attack freedom of speech.”
Other protesters expressed their belief in the importance of the demonstration. Actor Morgan Spector said, “If you are American and you believe in the Constitution, you should be standing here today.” Another protester, Josh Dubnau, added, “We have a right to express our opinion, but I refuse to allow my fear to stop me from expressing my First Amendment rights.”
However, the Anti-Defamation League stated that Jewish Voice for Peace does not represent the mainstream Jewish community. Attorney Gerard Filitti of the group End Jew Hatred criticized the protesters’ actions, stating, “The issue is not students saying they support Palestine, but it’s students taking action – blocking Jewish students from accessing parts of campus. When you’re saying ‘globalize the intifada,’ the intifada is known as violence targeting specifically Jews in Israel. So you discriminating against and identifiable group of people, which in this case is antisemitic.”
Mahmoud Khalil, the Columbia University graduate student whose arrest sparked the protest, is a well-known pro-Palestinian activist. His arrest and subsequent transfer to Louisiana for a hearing on potential deportation has ignited a high-profile legal battle and several protests. Khalil’s attorney, Amy Greer, reported that she spoke with Khalil by phone on the night before the Trump Tower protest. He told her, “Don’t worry, I’m okay.” Greer added, “He’s very community-centric … I think it was really moving for him to know how many people showed up in return.”
