More than 20 people were arrested Saturday as a mob of nearly 150 protesters cursed at cops and attempted to block federal authorities from conducting immigration raids in Lower Manhattan, according to a police source, federal officials, and video footage from the tumultuous scene.
The angry, masked demonstrators yelled “motherf-kers” at officers, sat on the road, tossed objects, and even threw themselves in front of an unmarked white vehicle with tinted windows as it attempted to depart 26 Federal Plaza, which houses the US Immigration Court.
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“Back up, back up!” six uniformed Department of Homeland Security officers yelled while shoving the agitators aside, footage of the incident showed.
Demonstrators attempted to block the van with metal barricades, orange traffic cones, and even a drawerless dresser from neighboring garbage, but cops soon pulled it out of the way.
The truck was eventually able to drive away after about two minutes, but the incident quickly descended into chaos as about 40 NYPD and federal officers clashed with the demonstrators, according to video footage.
According to an NYPD spokesperson, the seven persons were handed summonses after cops responded to a 911 call about an unruly group and discovered the scofflaws sitting in the street to block traffic.
Tricia McLaughlin, DHS’s assistant secretary for public affairs, lauded police for rapidly responding to the unrest and apprehending the agitators after “rioters” disrupted ICE immigration enforcement activities.
“Secretary (Kristi) Noem’s message to rioters is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down,” McLaughlin said in a statement to The Post.
“ICE will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
A similar situation erupted in Los Angeles, California, when violent protests over federal immigration raids flared up for the second day in a row.
Tom Homan, ICE’s Acting Director, stated that the National Guard would be mobilized Saturday evening to combat the disruption.
