Hundreds of protesters in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday evening opposed President Trump's escalating immigration crackdown, continuing their days of protests in Los Angeles, over 2,400 miles away.
The protesters gathered at Foley Square, near a large government building that houses the Federal Immigration Service and the city's main immigration courts. This is a flash point as the Trump administration tightens immigrant arrests in court.
Just after 6pm, hundreds moved into the streets, marching about a mile north through the Manhattan district, home to the federal building and another immigration court on Barrik Street. They raised the bright yellow signs that said “ice from NYC” in Spanish and English.
Another group stayed behind, spreading around the immigration and customs enforcement agency near Foley Square. There, as the night fell, the crowd became more and more upset, leading to the arrests of dozens of people throughout the night.
Tensions first flare up as some protesters chanted “Nazi scum,” adjoining the protesters in apparent efforts to promote traffic flow, untold police officers with riot devices that led to the first wave of arrests.
After 10pm, a crowd of about 100 protesters clashed with police officers, police attempting to keep people on the sidewalk near Fourley Square, pushing demonstrators to the ground during their arrests and using pepper spray during their arrests. Some people were taken away in handcuffs, so they cried out and yelled at the officers.
Then, as we approached in the middle of the night, a white van with flashing light emerged from near the ice office, passing a street corner where around 50 demonstrators were left. Protesters appear to be rushing towards a Broadway van, leading to chaos and volatile clashes between law enforcement officials and demonstrators. It is unclear what the protesters rushed, but officers arrested many people and robbed them on the ground on the streets filled with spilled trash cans.
When Trump deployed National Guard troops and Marines to California, Democrat Eric Adams, who largely coincided with Trump's immigration agenda, said Tuesday that he did not foresee the troops to New York City.
“If you need to go beyond the talent we have, there are other ways you can do it before you get the look of a military operation,” Adams said, citing the size and experience of police in New York City.
The Tuesday evening rally appeared to be greater than the protests in New York over the past few days. These previous demonstrations were tense and led to minor conflicts between arrests and law enforcement officials, but did not deviate from the chaotic visceral scene that appeared temporarily in Los Angeles.
The protests in Los Angeles have been largely peaceful, but protesters and federal officers are engaged in violent clashes, with officers throwing flash bangs and firing rubber bullets at the protesters.
In New York, demonstrators merged near 26 federal plazas, a 41-storey federal construction, just a few blocks from the city hall, which has one of the three immigration courts. Dozens of immigrants who competed in the hearing by federal agents in court this month were detained, attracting pushbacks from Democrats and activists to the building. The impressive skyscraper also features a New York Ice Field Office.
On Tuesday, Andrea Montiel, 31, whose parents are Mexican immigrants, said she had appeared at the rally on behalf of her family and friends.
“I think we're really here just because we want to be able to make a difference and show the ice,” she said, adding that New York and Los Angeles were connected by their large Hispanic population. “Despite the distance, we are one community.”
After a speech at a rally organized by a coalition of unions and immigration groups, the crowds became more confused as protesters were covered, broke to march on city streets, “abolizing the ice” and waving Mexican and Palestinian flags.
Eva Stokes, 21, said she was marching in support of her father, an immigrant from Mexico.
“My father could be deported any time,” Stokes said in tears. “He's already summoned, and you know, it's a scary process. I don't want to feel like I'm losing my father.”
As the sunset approached, one group of about 50 protesters arrived at Washington Square Park, dancing and applauding in the park's fountain.
The first day of the New York demonstrations was Saturday when more than 100 protesters gathered outside 26 federal plazas and clashed with police officers after protesters attempted to block ice vehicles carrying detained migrants. Police said 22 people were taken into custody as officers disbanded the crowd.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, quickly praised the police department's response. “Thankfully, unlike Los Angeles, the local police department responded to the riots quickly,” DHS said in a statement.
On Monday, after Trump ordered 2,000 national security guards to Los Angeles, demonstrators took over the lobby of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and called for the release of migrants who were sent to El Salvador's infamous largest security prison. The police station arrested at least 24 protesters during the demonstration.
Later that day, Adams issued a brief statement along with Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tish, after concerns accused of the New York protests that could go out of control. The mayor said he respected the right to peacefully protest New Yorkers' rights, but vowed that “we will not tolerate violence and lawlessness.”
“The escalation of protests in Los Angeles over the past few days has not been accepted and is not acceptable in our city,” Adams said. Commissioner Tish said that attacks on police officers will be “fulfilled by a prompt and decisive response by the NYPD.”
City leaders made statements that a disjointed group of 200 protesters gathered near 26 Federal Square for a “ice escape from NYC” demonstration Monday evening, leading to the arrests of seven.
Cassidy Jensen, Samantha Rutson, Annaly, Emmett Lindner and Chelsia Rose Marcius Reports of contributions.
