Over four dozen anti-ICE protesters were arrested in Los Angeles on the second night of a nationwide movement to end funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, authorities said Sunday, Feb. 1.
Police made 51 arrests on Saturday evening, with 47 adults and three juveniles cited and released for failure to disperse, Officer Norma Eisenman of the Los Angeles Police Department said. One person was arrested on suspicion of felony evading.
Saturday’s protests came after violence broke out Friday night, when multiple protesters were arrested for throwing objects at federal agents at downtown’s Metropolitan Detention Center.
Eisenman did not have a specific location for Saturday’s arrests, but a large rally began at 2 p.m. on the steps of City Hall at 200 N. Spring St. and continued into the night.
Much like Friday night’s demonstration, Saturday’s downtown rally seemed peaceful in the beginning, but by late that night the LAPD had issued a citywide tactical alert and ordered protesters to disperse after some threw “bottles, rocks and industrial size fireworks” at law enforcement officers.
Several anti-ICE rallies described as peaceful were also held Saturday in various Southern California communities.
Federal authorities had promised swift action against lawbreakers this weekend. After Friday’s violence, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said he requested more federal officers to Los Angeles to protect federal property.
“The violence and destruction of property directed at our federal properties in downtown Los Angeles last night is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. I have authorized federal officers to arrest anyone engaged in violence on the spot,” Essayli said.
“We’re not playing,” he posted later Saturday on X. “We have surged federal officers to protect our property and our employees. I have authorized probable cause arrests for those who break the law, and they will be charged federally.”
President Donald Trump doubled down on those sentiments.
“I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat cities with regard to their protests and/or riots unless, and until, they ask us for help,” the president wrote on Truth Social. “We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all federal buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid lunatics, agitators, and insurrectionists.
“Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of federal government property,” Trump continued. “There will be no spitting in the faces of our officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our patriot warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.
“In the meantime, by copy of this statement, I am informing local governments, as I did in Los Angeles when they were rioting at the end of the Biden term, that you must protect your own state and local property. In addition, it is your obligation to also protect our federal property, buildings, parks, and everything else. We are there to protect federal property, only as a back up, in that it is local and state responsibility to do so.”
It was not immediately clear Sunday if federal officers made any arrests Saturday. Essayli’s office did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Eight people were arrested Friday, Officer Kevin Terzes of the LAPD told City News Service. Six were for failure to disperse, one for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and one for a curfew violation, he said.
Two officers suffered minor injuries, Terzes added.
The LAPD announced Friday that acts of vandalism during the protests were being documented and asked all property owners and managers to also document all acts of vandalism and report them to lapdonline.org.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said those who became violent Friday night only hurt their own cause.
“I think the protests are extremely important, but it is equally important for these protests to be peaceful, for vandalism not to take place,” she said late Friday. “That just hurts the city. That does not impact the administration in any kind of way that is going to bring about any type of change. … If the protest gets violent, that is exactly what I believe this administration wants to see happen, because then don’t be surprised if the military re-enters our city.”
The demonstrations were part of a nationwide day of action organized by University of Minnesota student groups following the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal officers in Minneapolis. Organizers have dubbed the effort “National Shutdown,” with the stated goal of stopping funding for ICE, according to the group’s website.
Several local businesses participated in the protest through closures or boycotts.
Multiple anti-ICE protests held in Southern California on Saturday
