Arrests at Trump Tower as the Mahmoud Khalil | demonstrations continue Israel-Palestine News of Conflict
The demonstrators flooded the lobby of the Trump Tower in New York, in an exhibition of solidarity with the head of the student protest by Mahmoud Khalil, a permanent resident of the United States.
The protest on Thursday is the last in a series of demonstrations after immigration authorities arrested on Saturday night.
President Donald Trump’s administration said that intends to deport Khalilwho is Palestinian and married to an American citizen, because of his role in protest protests at Columbia University.
Khalilil’s lawyers and supporters, however, believe that Trump’s administration intentionally connecting Criticism of the Israeli War in Gaza with “terrorism” support. The arrest was rounded by groups of civil freedom, which Khalil called the “political prisoner”.
Demonstration leaders on Thursday said they chose Trump Tower to send a message to the president. The high institution also features Trump organization and Trump personal residence in New York.
“Like Jews, we take over the Trump Tower to register our mass rejection,” the Jewish voice for peace wrote, which organized a protest, in a post on the platform of social media X.
“We will not stand while this fascist regime tries to criminalize Palestine and all those who call for the end of the Palestinian people’s genocide financed by Israeli government. And we will never stop fighting for Slobodna Palestine.”
Among the protesters was the actress Deborah Wanger, who told the Associated Press to the news agency to “advocate for my rights”.
“I advocate Mahmoud Khalil, who is illegally abducted and taken to an undiscovered place,” she added. “Does that sound like America?”
Reporting from New York, Kristen Saloomey, Al Jazeera, said there were several “dramatic moments” while police arrested 98 protesters while cleaning the lobby.
“Demonstrators have basically going nonchalantly, dressed as normal tourists,” Saloomey said. “Then they took off their jackets, carrying red T -shirts that represented their cause. On behalf of Mahmoud Khalil, they said,” Not on our behalf. “
“Ninety and eight of them who have pulled out into the foxes are processed and accused of misdemeanor crimes.”
The detention continues
While the federal judge blocked Khalil to be removed from the United States, waiting for a legal challenge, he remained in custody in Louisiani.
His lawyers asked to move to New York for the proceedings and to be closer to his wife, who is a pregnant eight months.
Speaking during yesterday’s hearing, Khalil’s lawyer Ramzi Kassem said that “he was” identified, targeted, detained and processed for deportation for his advocacy of Palestinian rights. “
For her part, Trump’s administration remained defiant in her efforts to expel Khalil.
Spokeswoman Karolina Leavitt White House told reporters Khalil subject to removal under the law that allows For the deportation of the owner of the Green map that the US Secretary of State considered “opponent’s interests on foreign policy and national safety of” the country.
She reiterated the claim that Khalil supported “terrorists” without offering any evidence.
Trump, meanwhile, said Khalil’s arrest “is the first of many to come.”
In a separate court on Thursday, eight Columbia students – including Khalil – has been appointed a petition prosecutor who wants to ban the university from respecting the order to share student disciplinary records with the Government.
The Committee on the Education and Labor of Home requested records for students involved in the Pro-Palestinian protests, as part of their attempts to break anti-Semitism in the campus.
Students said the request of the Congress Committee violated the first amendment and their rights to privacy under the Law on Family Education and Privacy, US Law regulating the universities acting with students’ information.
“Entities like the University feel the pressure to cooperate with the Government in his efforts to cool and punish protected speech,” the lawsuit said.
