Ramona Gyllenhaal, daughter of actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and actor Peter Sarsgaard, was arrested Wednesday during a large-scale anti-Israel protest at Columbia University that escalated into chaos, according to reports.
The 17-year-old, currently enrolled at the Ivy League institution, was among nearly 100 individuals who entered Columbia’s Butler Library as part of an unauthorized demonstration.
Columbia University arrest – Ramona Sarsgaard, daughter of Maggie Gyllenhaal and Peter Sarsgaard, is one of the mob rioters arrested earlier this week.
Imagine thinking your Hollywood privilege allows you the right to interrupt hard working students studying for finals. pic.twitter.com/ZYfsoPEyWT
— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) May 9, 2025
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Protesters declared the building a “liberation zone” and renamed it the “Basel al-Araj Popular University” after a Palestinian militant accused by Israel of plotting a major attack.
Sources told the New York Post that Ramona Gyllenhaal received a desk appearance ticket for criminal trespassing following the protest.
Not the least bit surprised…
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s daughter, Ramona Sarsgaard, was among those arrested during the pro-Palestinian occupation of Columbia University’s library.
Sarsgaard, 18, a student at Columbia College, received a desk appearance ticket for criminal… pic.twitter.com/8TGGr5Gu2c
— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) May 9, 2025
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Columbia University officials stated that 78 arrests were made and at least 65 students have been suspended so far.
It remains unclear whether Gyllenhaal is among those suspended.
Video footage from the scene, widely circulated on social media, shows demonstrators forcing their way into the library while chanting anti-Israel slogans and painting graffiti inside, including the phrase “Columbia Will Burn.”
Protesters clashed with campus security, and several officers were reportedly injured.
The situation escalated further when university security personnel blocked protesters from leaving the building without showing student identification, resulting in a tense standoff.
In one clip, guards can be heard informing students they would be arrested for trespassing if they failed to provide ID.
Protesters inside chanted “Let us out,” while individuals gathered outside shouted in support.
UPDATE: Palestine protestors are now PLEADING to be let out of the Columbia University which they invaded, as officials BLOCK them from leaving without ID pic.twitter.com/ADfS38XIB6
“Please, please let us out!”
Those who REFUSE to provide ID are being arrested on the spot.… https://t.co/jAuWai15Dd
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) May 7, 2025
Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the activist group claiming responsibility for the protest, said more than 100 individuals took part.
The group issued a statement calling for full financial divestment from Israel-related activities, the cancellation of the university’s Tel Aviv Global Center, and the removal of law enforcement and immigration authorities from campus.
They also demanded amnesty for anyone facing disciplinary action related to the protests.
Wednesday’s protest follows months of unrest at Columbia linked to pro-Palestinian activism.
The school is currently attempting to regain federal funding that was revoked earlier this year by the Trump administration due to what officials described as the university’s failure to adequately respond to previous anti-Israel demonstrations.
Maggie Gyllenhaal and her brother, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, have publicly discussed their Jewish heritage.
Their mother, screenwriter Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal, is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent from Latvia and Poland.
Representatives for the Gyllenhaal family have not issued any comment on Ramona’s reported arrest.
Federal and local authorities have responded to the unrest. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials told Fox News they are reviewing the arrest records and will fingerprint those taken into custody to determine if any are noncitizens.
Individuals found to be foreign nationals could face deportation proceedings.
“Time to make a point,” an ICE official said.
The U.S. State Department also released a warning for international students.
“Foreign university students in America have been put on notice: If you break the law or support terrorism in our country, we will revoke your visa,” the department stated.
“This administration will not tolerate noncitizens causing mayhem on our college campuses.”
New York City Mayor Eric Adams also condemned the violence, writing on X: “New York City will always defend the right to peaceful protest, but we will never tolerate lawlessness.”
He added, “To our Jewish New Yorkers, especially the students at Columbia who feel threatened or unsafe attending class because of these events: know that your mayor stands with you and will always work to keep you safe.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul echoed the mayor’s remarks. “Everyone has the right to peacefully protest. But violence, vandalism or destruction of property are completely unacceptable,” she said.
Rep. Elise Stefanik weighed in as well, stating, “While Columbia students try to study for finals, they’re being bombarded with chants for a ‘global intifada.’
Not a single taxpayer dollar should go to a university that allows chaos, antisemitism and civil rights violations on its campus.”
It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will pursue further action against Columbia in light of this week’s events.
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