New York’s Times Square Flooded With Protesters Backing Mahmoud Khalil

Protesters packed Times Square in the heart of New York City on Saturday, demanding the release of Palestinian activist and former Columbia University graduate student Mahmoud Khalil who was arrested last weekend on campus by plainclothes officers.

Newsweek has reached out to several organizers for comment via email on Saturday.

Why It Matters

Khalil’s arrest sparked serious concerns among advocates and students, raising questions about the right to protest, freedom of speech, political advocacy, and immigration status. His detention and sudden transport to Louisiana has also intensified debates over civil liberties and legal due process.

President Donald Trump, who has pledged to crack down on pro-Palestinian protesters on college campuses, has called the arrest “the first arrest of many to come.”

The war between Israel and Hamas became a focal point of campus activism at Columbia last year, leading to clashes between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel students as well as significant police intervention and presence on campus. In response, some protest organizers faced disciplinary actions, including degree revocations and suspensions

Several protests have been scheduled across the Empire State and the country in support of Khalil and against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) actions against him, amid the Trump’s administration strengthening ties with Israel. Trump has repeatedly suggested displacing Palestinians from Gaza and having the United States take ownership of the enclave and rebuild it.

What To Know

On Saturday, around 3 p.m., dozens of protesters came together for a demonstration co-organized by several groups, including, The People’s Forum, ANSWER Coalition, and New York Party of Socialism and Liberation, among others.

Protesters carried signs reading “Release Mahmoud Khalil,” and waved Palestinian flags while marching through the streets, often chanting “Free, Free, Free Palestine,” and “ICE Is Not Welcome Here.”

Khalil, a green card holder, was taken from his residence in a Columbia-University owned building last Saturday evening by plainclothes officers. DHS has accused him of “activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.” Khalil’s lawyers have said there is no such evidence.

On Friday, DHS said one student with this alleged viewpoint had self-deported, while agents had arrested another.

Columbia is coming under increasing pressure from the Trump administration to tackle perceived antisemitism on campus. On Thursday, it announced that multiple students involved in a building occupation last year had faced disciplinary action and that DHS officers were in “two university residences tonight. No one was arrested or detained.”

Last week, the Trump administration pulled $400 million in federal funding from the university over what Trump characterized as a failure to crack down on antisemitism on campus.

Several protests across New York and other cities, including Washington, D.C., have taken place since Khalil’s detention. A petition demanding his immediate release has been signed by more than 3.4 million people so far.

On Monday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to deport Khalil.

What People Are Saying

Hannah Priscilla Craig, communications director of The People’s Forum, told Newsweek in an email Saturday: “Today, cities across the entire country are standing together to defend Mahmoud Khalil. We demand his immediate release, our right to speech and protest, and reaffirm our commitment to a free Palestine! We stand with the students who have been expelled, suspended, or had their revoked degrees revoked by Columbia University for speaking out against the genocide in Gaza. While the Trump administration tries to strip us of our rights, our movement will only grow stronger. An attack on one is an attack on us all!”

Israel has repeatedly denied genocide claims, and says it is acting in self-defense against Hamas.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week: “This administration is not going to tolerate individuals having the privilege of studying in our country and then siding with pro-terrorist organizations that have killed Americans.”

Brett Max Kaufman, senior staff attorney with American Civil Liberties Union’s Center for Democracy said in a statement: “This is a clear attempt by President Trump to make an example out of Mr. Khalil and silence dissent across the country. No matter what your views are on Israel & Palestine, we should all be terrified of a government incarcerating its residents for their political opinions.”

DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin told Newsweek in a statement: “On March 9, 2025, in support of President Trump’s executive orders prohibiting anti-Semitism, and in coordination with the Department of State, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia University graduate student. Khalil led activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization. ICE and the Department of State are committed to enforcing President Trump’s executive orders and to protecting U.S. national security.”

What Happens Next?

Protests are expected to continue until Khalil’s immigration hearing on March 27. He remains in custody in Louisiana.

On Monday, The People’s Forum is hosting a weekly volunteer meeting to “build the movement,” Craig told Newsweek.

“Key organizations in the movement will give updates on the situation in Palestine and calls to action for upcoming mobilizations and activity. Then, people will break out into smaller groups by borough and neighborhood to plan outreach in their area,” she said.