Anti-ICE Protesters Shut Down Midtown Intersection, 48 Arrested

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Forty-eight protesters were arrested Monday evening after shutting down a busy Midtown Manhattan intersection Monday evening to call for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement days after the agency attempted raids in two New York City neighborhoods.

Protesters blocked off Fifth Avenue near 42nd Street by standing in the intersection while holding up what appeared to be orange safety netting, according to witness photographs from the scene of the protest. The demonstrators held up signs reading "abolish ICE," "close the camps" and "no raids."

The group also placed a toilet with the sign "drinking water for ICE" in the intersection, a reference to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's description of conditions in detention facilities at the southern border.

Police arrested protesters by placing them on a large bus, according to witnesses.

The protest was organized by the group Rise & Resist, the group said in a statement.

"We’ve all read the news, seen the images, and heard the children’s heart-wrenching cries. But what are we doing? What are you doing?" Jody Kuh, a member of Rise and Resist said in a statement. "Today I’m risking arrest by disrupting people’s normal, ordinary routines to draw attention to the fact that what’s happening all around us isn’t normal!"

Immigrant communities were put on edge in New York City after ICE agents attempted three raids in the Sunset Park and East Harlem neighborhoods on Saturday, a day before pre-announced raids were set to take place.

City officials and immigrant-rights advocates were on high alert going into the weekend amid reports that ICE would arrest about 2,000 people in targeted raids in 10 major cities. President Donald Trump had said the raids would target criminals, though they also reportedly threatened immigrants who had previously been ordered deported.

No arrests were made during the three raids on Saturday and no raids were reported on Sunday.