A group of protesters disguised as the Statue of Liberty and Lady Justicia were arrested Monday against the Immigration Court in Bajo Manhattan in protest against ICE.
A large number of NYPD officers flooded Broadway and Thomas Street shortly after the August 11, after dozens of protesters – mostly older people – were planted on the road in front of the Federal Plaza 26 and block the traffic. The group known as extinction rebellion said it sought to raise awareness about what they describe as federal kidnappings within the installation.
“The damage, the crimes that occur in this building, cannot be remedied with laws. It will take years and years to correct the errors that happen here every day,” said a protester who identified himself as Matthew. “There is no word, there is no law that can make this fair. A father separated from her family, a mother separated from her family, a child separated from her parents. This is more than immoral.”
The protesters denounced that for three months immigrants attend their compulsory judicial audiences have been captured by ICE agents with masks and quickly carried by stairs or elevators and then be held on the tenth floor.
In addition to disguising themselves with symbols in the United States, furious protesters showed the American flag upside down to express their outrage and carried images of people who have died while they were in ICE custody, in addition to loading a plastic skeleton dressed in ICE uniform.
“We hear that there are people detained without access to showers, medicines, change of clothes, sleeping on the floor with minimal food. We want them to release them,” said another protester who identified himself as meg.
Only minutes passed since the group stopped on the street so that the police break and start to handcuff them. During chaos, officers also pushed accredited journalists, threatening them with arrest and preventing photographers from capturing arrests. The sidewalks were filled with officers and access to the pedestrian road was blocked, preventing the press from seeing most of what was happening.
“We have a legal right to record this,” said a photographer. However, their claims were not heard.
According to police sources, ten people arrested, who will probably be released with a citation.
