Pro-Palestinian activists occupy Trump Tower lobby in New York; 98 arrested

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian activists occupied the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan on Thursday, March 13, 2026.

“Pro-Palestinian activists occupy the Trump Tower lobby in New York on Thursday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, spokesman for a student movement against the war in Gaza”

France 24

The activists, organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, wore distinctive red T-shirts with white lettering referencing the 'Make America Great Again' movement.

France 24

Some protesters were forcibly removed from the opulent interior adorned with gold accents and pink marble.

The protest targeted Trump's increasing pressure on universities and his administration's recent punitive measures.

The demonstration reflected growing tensions between the president and campus-based movements opposing Israel's military actions in Gaza.

The protest prominently featured a banner reading 'Free Mahmoud, Free Palestine,' directly referencing the case of Mahmoud Khalil.

Khalil was a Columbia University student movement spokesperson who faces potential expulsion despite holding a green card as a permanent resident.

France 24

Khalil had been serving as spokesperson for a Columbia student movement against the war waged by Israel in Gaza.

His detention and threatened expulsion became a focal point of the Trump Tower occupation.

The protest highlighted what activists described as an increasingly authoritarian approach to suppressing legitimate political expression.

New York Police Department authorities reported the arrest of 98 protesters as law enforcement responded to the unauthorized occupation.

“Pro-Palestinian activists occupy the Trump Tower lobby in New York on Thursday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, spokesman for a student movement against the war in Gaza”

France 24

By early afternoon, police had restored calm inside the skyscraper, though the protest had already achieved significant media attention.

The large number of arrests underscored the seriousness with which authorities treated the protest.

The arrests represented one of the largest single-day protest-related actions targeting Trump properties in recent memory.

The arrests came amid a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian demonstrations across American university campuses.

President Trump responded to the protest by framing his administration's actions as necessary to combat antisemitism.

Trump claimed that the arrests revealed 'we are on the verge of a total seizure of power by an authoritarian regime.'

France 24

Jewish participants drew direct historical parallels to authoritarianism.

Jane Hirschmann, descendant of Holocaust survivors, stated: 'As people of conscience, we know our history and know where this leads. This is what fascists do.'

James Schamus, Columbia Jewish professor, called Trump's fight against antisemitism a 'smokescreen.'

The Trump Tower occupation occurred amid escalating institutional responses to pro-Palestinian activism.

“Pro-Palestinian activists occupy the Trump Tower lobby in New York on Thursday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, spokesman for a student movement against the war in Gaza”

France 24

Columbia University announced severe sanctions against pro-Palestinian students who had occupied a building in spring 2024.

France 24

These sanctions included 'multi-year suspensions, temporary revocations of degrees and expulsions.'

The university's actions came after Trump had already cut $400 million in federal subsidies to the institution.

The coordinated nature of the protest suggested a strategy to draw attention to systemic suppression of Palestinian advocacy.