Mayhem erupted outside of a Chinatown parking garage on Saturday after protesters learned of a massive ICE presence inside.
A band of anti-ICE protesters confronted a group of masked Feds on Howard Center Streets as they were apparently preparing for a massive raid.
In an attempt to prevent the agents from leaving, a group of growing New Yorkers blocked both entrances and used objects like wooden pallets and traffic barriers to block them in.
“Is this what makes you feel good? Tearing families apart?” One woman screamed.
“ICE out of New York!” The group chanted.
At about 11:45 a.m. on Nov. 29, the NYPD appeared on the scene and began to immediately clear the area in what developed into an all-out brawl.
Boxes and trash cans were hurled through the air at law enforcement while cops themselves battered protesters with nightsticks and tackled them to the ground.
Unrelenting, the irate protesters retreated down the block, where they pulled trash out of a dumpster and covered the street in debris in hopes of blocking a path. This resulted in several more arrests.
Local City Council Member Christopher Marte arrived on the scene and thanked the protesters, saying they stopped a massive ICE enforcement operation.
“It was really disturbing to see ICE agents organized and prepare for a massive raid today. I want to thank the protesters who are out here today that really stopped people from being arrested and out into the deportation process,” Marte said.
However, he went on to charge that he believes the NYPD is collaborating with ICE after they rushed to the scene to break up the protest.
“I’m really frustrated that the NYPD seems to be working with ICE and making it easier for them to facilitate arrests and deportations,” Marte said. “If you’re here today, you’ll see that there’s some sort of coordination. This wasn’t done blindly.”
An NYPD spokesperson vehemently denied that the department worked with federal agents on Nov. 29. The city’s sanctuary laws expressly forbid the NYPD from collaborating with federal agencies on immigration enforcement operations.
“The NYPD was not in coordination with today’s federal operation and does not conduct civil immigration enforcement, period,” an NYPD spokesperson said.
Sources familiar with the incident report that Commissioner Jessica Tisch told FBI Director Kash Patel that Saturday’s operation was unacceptable.
Later in the afternoon, a convoy of federal vehicles left the garage but were immediately followed by protesters who began throwing plant pots, trash cans, and other items in front of the vehicles.
During the chaos, several protestors, journalists, and even cops were doused with pepper spray by one sergeant from the SRG Unit. While the exact arrest number hasn’t been determined, police sources report that it is in the double digits.
It is unclear whether ICE made any detainments or if the protests halted the scheduled operation.
