On November 30, a New York immigrant rights group, along with several elected officials, gathered in Chinatown to criticize the police’s handling of a protest against the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) the previous day, and demanded the withdrawal of related arrests and charges. On the 29th, over a hundred protesters flooded an area outside a Chinatown garage in response to rumors that ICE was planning a raid on illegal street vendors in the neighborhood, attempting to prevent the operation from taking place. During the protest, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement, leading to at least 10 arrests.
During the gathering on the 30th, Murad Awawdeh, the executive director of the New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC), emphasized that New Yorkers are standing up to “ensure no one is taken away and families are not torn apart”.
City Comptroller Brad Lander accused the New York police of “clearing the way for ICE” on site, violating the city’s “sanctuary city law”.
“When you see the SRG clearing the way for the truck, that is assisting in deportation,” Lander bluntly stated, saying that the NYPD’s job is to protect citizens, not assist ICE. “I hope the police remember that your oath of service is to the people of New York.”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams stated that he will not apologize for the protesters, praising the fact that “New Yorkers always stand up when needed”, but at the same time, he urged demonstrators to remain as non-violent as possible.
Among the participants in the gathering were those who protested on the 29th, emphasizing that the protest will continue and demanding that the police drop all arrests and charges.
After hearing that ICE was planning a raid on illegal street vendors in Chinatown on the 29th, protesters gathered in front of the garage. Some people brought traffic cones and overturned trash cans to block the road, even climbing over the wall fences, causing the garage exit and nearby streets to be completely blocked. The police pointed out that some protesters blocked the street and the exit, threw debris, refused multiple orders to disperse, and therefore had to clear the route using force and arrest multiple protesters.