Over 80 people were arrested as a massive anti-ICE protest in Lower Manhattan Tuesday descended into chaos with shrieking, sign-holding demonstrators flooding the streets, clashing with cops and hurling objects at officers.
Thousands of angry New Yorkers took to the streets near Foley Square in the shadow of City Hall to protest the Immigration and Customs Enforcement deportations going on in the city and throughout the country.
As the sky grew dark, over 80 demonstrators were taken into custody by the NYPD at several locations across downtown in the area surrounding Federal Plaza, according to police sources.
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Many of the people cuffed were charged with disorderly conduct and the number of arrests is expected to grow as the department does a final tally, according to the sources.
After multiple hours of vociferous protesting during daylight, several chaotic scenes broke out across downtown after the sun set.
Large groups of protesters, many wearing keffiyehs associated with pro-Palestinian political movements, carried on in opposition to the NYPD, which ordered a level three mobilization to handle the mass of people.
One woman confronted the protesters who were standing in her way and preventing her from reaching her job, according to video posted to X
“How is this a peaceful protest?” the unidentified woman asks the protesters.
“Oh no, not work I care so much,” the ponytailed man sarcastically responds, laughing at his joke.
Some protesters threw water bottles and other objects at police officers, according to police sources and video.
Others chanted “Shame! Shame!” as the NYPD took masked demonstrators into custody, video showed.
Several protesters were pepper-sprayed during the course of arrests — some of which were violent.
A Post reporter witnessed a woman wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh being aggressively slammed to the ground by several NYPD officers, appearing to bang her head on toppled barricades.
One NYPD officer appeared to twice use pepper spray during the course of that apprehension.
Another wild apprehension was caught on camera with police corralling a masked man by his backpack — also appearing to take into custody his friend who attempted to intervene in the initial NYPD stop.
As the night progressed, protesters became more emboldened.
Aggressive demonstrators wrestled with barricades and hurled lewd insults at officers — one even blew vape smoke in a cop’s face.
Video taken by a journalist circulating online showed some masked protesters trying to breach a police barricade in an apparent attempt to stop an ICE van from leaving the back of a Federal Plaza building.
Earlier in the day, thousands of protesters took to Foley Square in a raucous demonstration against the ICE raids in the city.
Pickets carried placards reading “Abolish ICE” and “ICE out of New York!” and chanted phrases such as, “Brick by brick, wall by wall, this racist system has got to fall!”
Notable speakers at the protest included Brooklyn Councilwoman Shahana Hanif and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
“In my community, everyone is anxious,” Hanif told the frenzied crowd.
“Mayor [Eric] Adams has made it clear he does not care about working-class people … he is collaborating with [President] Trump to use tactics bringing out the military. He’s OK with ICE attacking our communities,” Hanif charged.
Williams also spoke across the street from the federal courthouse where he also took aim at Adams.
“We’re in a scary situation and I have to call out the fact that Mayor Eric Adams is nowhere to be found in a city full of immigrants,” Williams said Tuesday afternoon.
The public advocate further called out the NYPD for allowing ICE to “kidnap” people in the city.
Adams condemned the ongoing riots across the country during a press conference alongside NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Monday.
“The escalation of protests in Los Angeles over the last couple of days is unacceptable and would not be tolerated if attempted in our city,” Adams said.
Hizzoner had warned fellow New Yorkers not to follow their California counterparts in taking over streets and fighting law enforcement.
“I want to assure all New Yorkers that we have the best police department in the world. Men and women who are prepared to handle any issues that may arise, especially when we are faced with deep division in our society,” he said.
