'I can’t stand by and watch what’s happening,' says ICE Out protester in Los Angeles
HOUSTON — Massive rallies protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations took place across the US Friday, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets in a national day of action organizers labeled as ICE Out.
The dissent many Americans feel about ICE agents was exemplified by the thousands of protesters who took to the streets of Los Angeles.
In the wake of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which has resulted in the high-profile deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both Americans, by ICE agents in the state of Minnesota, protesters in Los Angeles voiced their frustration and fear about the violent ICE operations, which have taken place in many Democratic-led states like California.
“I was born in Los Angeles, and I’ve seen so many of my neighbors, so many of my friends — people who helped build this city — being taken from us,” a protester told the KTLA television station. “I can’t stand by and watch what’s happening.”
In addition to marches and rallies, ICE Out organizers urged Americans to skip work, school and stop shopping at retail stores Friday to show solidarity in opposing the Trump administration’s federal immigration enforcement program.
Demonstrators clashed with police outside of the Federal Building in Los Angeles, where protesters threw trash and bottles at officers, resulting in officers using pepper spray on the crowd, according to reporters covering the protests.
Local leaders, including US Rep. Brad Sherman and Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, joined the demonstrations, criticizing federal immigration tactics and urging changes to the Trump administration’s enforcement policies.
Sherman told reporters that he hoped the protests would prompt the administration to reconsider its approach, while Blumenfield said demonstrators were raising their voices “as loud as we can here … and across the country.”
Hundreds of high school students across Los Angeles staged walkouts, joining the protests instead of attending classes. Some businesses in Southern California announced temporary closures of stores in support of the anti-ICE movement.
“It’s been snowballing,” a protester told KTLA. “It’s showing us that there are more of us than there are of them.”
Candlelight vigils were planned Friday night to honor Good, Pretti and others killed during the immigration-related protests in Minnesota.
Demonstrators hope the mass protests will pressure federal leaders to ramp down the aggressiveness and violence of ICE operations.
In the state of Oregon, American veterans held a protest at the Federal Building in the city of Eugene to voice opposition to the perceived injustices of ICE agents’ violent conduct during immigration raids.
Members of Veterans for Peace emphasized that their goal is to respond to the violent tactics of ICE by conducting peaceful and nonviolent demonstrations.
“We’re not violent, we’re peacefully protesting,” group spokesperson Pat Driscoll said in an interview. “We’re not going to let (this) happen (and) go without standing up and speaking our minds.”
The group’s goal is to bring unity between the government and the American people who are being affected by the violent ICE raids.
“We have to come together,” said Driscoll. “We have to organize together, because nobody else is going to protect us.” — Anadolu Agency
