Maggie Gyllenhaal's daughter arrested over Columbia Gaza protest

Daughter of Hollywood actors Peter Sarsgaard and Maggie Gyllenhaal was arrested during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at Columbia University last week.

Ramona Sarsgaard was reportedly one of dozens arrested when protesters, many of them with their faces covered with the keffiyeh scarves, stormed Columbia's main library on 7 May.

She faces a desk appearance ticket for criminal trespassing.

Roughly 80 people were arrested in connection with the Wednesday evening demonstration at the university's Butler Library. Most face trespassing charges, though some may also face disorderly conduct, police have said.

The mask-clad protesters pushed their way past campus security officers, raced into the building and hung Palestinian flags and other banners on bookshelves. Some protesters also scrawled phrases on library furniture and picture frames, including "Columbia will burn".

New York City police in helmets and other protection broke up the demonstration at the request of university officials, who denounced the protests as an "outrageous" disruption for students studying and preparing for final exams.

The university has suspended dozens of students and barred alumni and others who participated in the demonstration.

Many US universities have witnessed pro-Palestinian protests since last year over Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which has since killed over 52,800 people, mostly civilians, since 7 October 2023.

President Donald Trump's administration has taken stern measures against many foreign students for their participation in these protests, accusing them of antisemitism and being pro-Hamas, a designated terror group in Washington. Many students have had their visas revoked and face deportation.

Ramona's mother, Maggie Gyllenhaal, is an Oscar-nominated actor and the sister of Jake Gyllenhaal; both are of Jewish heritage.

In a 2014 interview with TIME magazine, where she speaks about a series she starred in called "The Honourable Woman" that centres on the Israel-Palestine conflict, Maggie said she wanted to keep her "personal politics out of the press" and believes in "the possibility of reconciliation."

Israel bombarded Gaza for 50 days in the summer of 2014.

(The New Arab, AP)