ICE Protesters Arrested At Amazon In Cambridge

CAMBRIDGE, MA — A dozen people were arrested on trespassing charges at Amazon after a crowd marched from the Holocaust Memorial in Boston to the online giant's Cambridge office. The activists made their way to the Cambridge Amazon office, where they took over the lobby. They group said they were rallying against Amazon's contracts with ICE. Last year, Amazon employees wrote a letter to CEO Jeff Bezos detailing concerns about the company's relationship with ICE.

"Despite several requests to peacefully escort protesters outside the Amazon building at 101 Main Street, 12 people have been arrested on trespassing charges," Cambridge police said adding that a small crowd continued the protest outside the building around 9 p.m.

A group called "Never Again Action: Jews Against ICE," organized the march Thursday. A group of several hundred people showed up wearing white and carrying yellow signs. They marched down Charles Street over the Longfellow bridge during the evening rush hour, causing traffic problems in both cities.

"We demand that companies here in Boston cut their ties with ICE and stop enabling the horrific deportations, detainments and human rights abuses committed against immigrants across the country," the group posted online.

In their letter, workers criticized the company selling its facial recognition service to law enforcement and government agencies, citing “historic militarization of police, renewed targeting of Black activists, and the growth of a federal deportation force currently engaged in human rights abuses,” the Hill reported at the time.

Someone from the Never Again Action took to Gofundme to fundraise to cover bail for the dozen who were arrested, as well as cover logistical costs, like water and banners, for the march.

Within hours of the online fundraiser being posted, 88 people had raised $3,284.

Earlier this summer, Massachusetts Wayfair workers staged a walkout in Boston to protest the company's contract with government contractors that furnish detention facilities for children along the U.S.-Mexico border.

The Amazon protest was live-streamed on Facebook:

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).