Immigrant advocates and elected officials condemned the NYPD on Sunday for its response to anti-ICE protests in Chinatown that turned chaotic 24 hours earlier.
Standing outside the garage on Howard and Centre Streets, the advocates and group of elected officials did not pull any punches when it came to criticizing law enforcement. Murad Awawdeh, the head of the New York Immigration Coalition, charged that police brutalized protesters during the Nov. 29 demonstration.
“New Yorkers, friends, and family members were confronted by the NYPD, and then they were brutalized. Some people, randomly, were maced. Others were thrown to the ground violently for what New York City has been a sanctuary city for decades,” Awawdeh said.
Local politicians echoed Awawdeh’s statements, demanding that Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg drop the charges against as many as 19 protesters arrested during the chaos.
City Comptroller Brad Lander alleged that he believed that police violated local laws by clearing a path for the federal agents inside vehicles who made a getaway.
“When you see SRG agents clearing the street, clearing the way for trucks, let’s be clear, the words for that are facilitating ICE deportations. That is a violation of New York City sanctuary law, and it’s not tolerable. It is not the job of the NYPD to facilitate the deportations of our neighbors,” Lander charged. “I really do want to ask the NYPD to remember who you’re sworn to protect and serve, and it is the people of New York City. And yesterday, the people who were protecting and serving New Yorkers were the protesters who showed up.”
Almost every elected official in attendance thanked the New Yorkers who stood face-to-face with the masked federal agents, believing that their actions helped deter what they believed would have been a massive ICE operation.
While Public Advocate Jumaane Williams called for New Yorkers to remain peaceful, he also said he would not apologize on their behalf.
“We will not apologize for stepping up and protecting one another. I want you to understand what is happening and will continue to happen in New York City. We are immensely proud of New Yorkers who stepped up every time ICE agents have come in and tried to abuse our neighbors, and I want to encourage all New Yorkers to continue to do the same. The only thing that we ask is that you do it as nonviolently as possible,” Williams said.
Throughout the day Saturday, cops could be seen tackling men and women to the ground, striking them with batons.
One sergeant was spotted shooting pepper spray that struck protesters, journalists, and even a fellow police officer.
Meanwhile, police sources reported that about 19 people were taken into custody, while 11 were officially arrested and slapped with charges. One 26-year-old male was charged with felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon after they threw a wooden pallet that hit an officer’s leg.
While the NYPD did not immediately respond to these accusations, a police spokesperson denied accusations of working with federal agents.
“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 Tisch told FBI Director Kash Patel that Saturday’s operation was unacceptable.
Activist Jay Walker, who rushed to the scene after he heard about the presence of ICE, addressed the lack of a statement from the commissioner.
“I haven’t seen an adequate statement or remarks from our administration, including Mayor Adams and Commissioner Tisch. I ask that, please, New Yorkers do not feel safe right now. They are living in fear, and you are adding to that fear,” Walker said. “ICE is terrorizing our city, not protesters — not non-violent protesters who are standing up for human rights.”
