New York: Hundreds of pro-Palestine protesters rallied and marched in New York City, protesting the Trump administration's Middle East policies, campus protests, and immigration stance.
Protesters marched through Lower Manhattan on Tuesday, making their way from Washington Park to City Hall, with police detaining around a dozen participants, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The Trump administration cancelled $400 million in federal funding to Columbia University, citing the school's failure to address anti-Semitism on campus, and announced a review of other universities.
Mahmoud Khalida, a Palestinian graduate student at Columbia University, was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at his university residence on Saturday.
Khalil, a permanent US resident, played a key role in organising pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University, which started in April 2024. His wife, a US citizen who's eight months pregnant, received threats from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to Khalil's attorney.
The Trump administration's recent actions have ignited a fresh wave of pro-Palestine protests in New York City.
"This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other universities across the country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump administration will not tolerate it," said Trump in a post on social media on Monday.
Protesters marched through the streets, waving Palestinian flags and holding banners that read "Free Mahmoud Khalil," showing their support for the detained Columbia University student.
"This is anti-First Amendment. Also, the university is helping ICE arrest its students, and that's wrong and unacceptable," said Ruby Martin, a protester.
Martin expressed concern that Columbia University permitted ICE agents to enter campus property to arrest students, and she plans to participate in another march on Tuesday night, calling for Khalil's release.
"The university has been involved in this mess for a long time. It's time to stop," said Katherine Wilson, an adjunct professor at two universities in New York. She carried a sign reading "Faculty Against Fascism" at the march.
The NYPD reported 12 arrests as marchers reached City Hall, while Mahmoud Khalil, the detained Columbia University student who could face deportation, faces a hearing on Wednesday.
(inputs from IANS)