WASHINGTON, March 16, 2025 (WAFA) – Demonstrations were held in Washington, D.C., and New York City in support of Palestine and calling for the release of Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil.
Khalil was recently arrested by U.S. authorities under the pretext that he led protests at Columbia University last year condemning the genocide perpetrated by Israel in Gaza.
Protesters gathered in Washington near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters.
The demonstrators held signs with slogans such as "Free Palestine," "Free Mahmoud Khalil," and "ICE out of our campuses."
They chanted slogans like, "We want justice, you ask how it will be achieved, free Mahmoud Khalil now" and "Free all students."
In New York, hundreds also marched from Times Square to Columbus Circle in protest against Khalil's detention.
One protester stated that the attacks on Mahmoud Khalil are not just attacks on one person, but on everyone who dares to demand and support justice.
Protesters, carrying Palestinian flags and signs reading "Free Mahmoud Khalil," emphasized that the Palestinian activist's right to protest is protected by law.
Last Sunday, U.S. authorities arrested Khalil, the Palestinian student who led solidarity protests at Columbia University last year condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
In January, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on combating anti-Semitism, which allows the deportation of students participating in pro-Palestinian protests.
Columbia University, Northwestern University, Portland State University, the University of Minnesota and UC Berkeley were among the universities where pro-Palestine protests began in April 2024 and spread worldwide.
The pro-Palestine protests, which started at Columbia University, expanded to over 50 universities across the U.S., with more than 3,100 arrests, most of them students and faculty members.
The situation at Columbia University became tense last week after police intervened to disperse student protests against the visit of former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to the campus, leading to clashes and the arrest of several protesters.
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