Protesters organized by a progressive Jewish group occupied the lobby of Trump Tower in New York City on Thursday to demand the release of Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian Columbia University student held by US immigration authorities. About 100 were arrested.
Chanted slogans included: “Free Mahmoud, free them all” and: “Fight Nazis, not students.”
Other chants in footage posted to social media included: “We will not comply, Mahmoud, we are on your side” and: “Bring Mahmoud home now.”
At a news briefing on Thursday afternoon, a police official said those arrested faced charges including trespassing, obstruction and resisting arrest.
A hundred people arrested for exercising their Free Speech by protesting a man being illegally deported for exercising his Free Speech…
It’s the fucking First Amendment! The FIRST one, and arguably the most important one! Dark days, people…
As much as many don’t like it, it’s textbook trespassing. It was private property, if they ask you to leave and you don’t you can get arrested. And cops love to pile on with obstruction and resisting arrest charges. I’m an advocate of protest and speech but if you want to plan to not be arrested, you have to be on the public easement or some other established public property/forum. I think here they were planning to be arrested, and I respect that.
You make some good points. How dare you…
Well if the First one doesn’t work…