Tear Gas Thrown, Fireworks Spark At Metro ATL Anti-ICE Raid: Reports

BROOKHAVEN, GA — Six people were arrested Tuesday night during an anti-ICE rally that ended with tear gas being thrown and fireworks being ignited in Brookhaven, media reports say.

The Brookhaven protest, held along Buford Highway to advocate against the Trump administration's choice to raid and deport immigrants, included hundreds of people and came amid the chaotic protests in Los Angeles, California.

The rally in Brookhaven began around 6:30 p.m. and went on past its agreed time to end, leading authorities to take action around 9:30 p.m., the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

Protesters were accused of then igniting fireworks and throwing rocks, WAGA-TV reported.

Police then deployed tear gas to break up the rally, and six people were arrested, both news outlets reported. Their charges were unknown.

Three police cars were damaged during the incident, WAGA-TV reported.

“They will not intimidate us," protester Lauren Epps told the AJC. "We are here to stay, and we are here to do whatever we can to fight for immigrants."

The Brookhaven rally reportedly came a day after a peaceful protest was held Monday outside of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Office in Atlanta.

"I see a lot of hatred and a lot of racism, and I'm tired of that," protester Liz Mosher told WAGA-TV.

RELATED:

• Curfew, Aggressive LAPD Tactics Thin Demonstrations As ICE Raids Spread
• 1,100 GA Officers To Undergo ICE Training In Immigration Crackdown
• Judge Orders Trump Officials To Reinstate Visas For 133 Students
• Arrests Made In GA ICE Raids

With the nation's eyes upon the unrest in Los Angeles, a police department already under fire from city leaders over its aggressive response to demonstrations, intended to quell the unrest early Tuesday, the fifth straight day of anti-ICE demonstrations.

Immigration raids spread throughout California with raids or protests confirmed in Orange, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, as well as Long Beach, San Francisco and Central Valley agricultural communities.

As the evening wore on Tuesday night, few protesters could be seen while police flooded the streets.

Waiting in the wings were roughly 5,000 National Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines called in by President Donald Trump over the objections of the governor, city leaders, and even local law enforcement.

Trump, in a speech to the U.S. Army Tuesday, called Los Angeles a "trash heap" and its protesters "animals." He vowed to "liberate" the city with widespread deployment of soldiers. It was an incendiary speech from a politician blamed by many local leaders for inciting the unrest.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom fired back in a nationally televised address Tuesday night, urging Americans to fight for their democracy against the 'authoritarianism' behind the decision to send the military into the streets of a major American city against the will of local and state leaders.

Trump said on Tuesday morning that the National Guard would remain in LA "until there's no danger."

Patch editors Kat Schuster, Chris Lindahl and Fernando Haro contributed to this article.

ALSO SEE: Get The Latest Local News (For Free!) With One Quick Tap