Tucson protest against ICE hit with police crackdown
3 arrests, cops use pepper spray
Tucson, AZ – At the federal building in downtown Tucson around 150 people displayed their anger at Trump’s recent ICE raids, Feb.16. The raids targeted hard-working undocumented immigrants, including a mother in Phoenix.
The crowd’s chants roared across street traffic as protesters shouted: “No ban! No wall! Sanctuary now!” and “No more deportations!”
The Immigrant rights group Lucha Unida de Padres y Estudiantes (LUPE) called the protest to demonstrate the popular dissent for Trump and his anti-immigrant agenda. LUPE organizer Stteffanny Cott Tolentino said, “Trump and his administration have routinely confirmed their racist, xenophobic, lslamophobic and anti-labor agenda as his executive actions actively repress and terrorize multinational working-class families. But we are here to show that this community is engaged in resistance and struggle.”
The rally took to the streets and as police attempted to block their movement, the march was determined to continue. The police then arrested three people: two Brown Berets and an African American woman with Black Lives Matter. As protesters demanded their immediate release, the police continued their heavy-handed response by throwing an elderly woman to the ground and then pepper spraying a line of mostly women protesters and a group of children behind them. Tempers flared, and as the crowd dispersed, some of the protesters filed official complaints against the offending officers for their actions.
All three arrestees have been released and LUPE and the community will continue to support their legal defense. Also, LUPE plans to continue organizing and defending immigrant rights while taking measures to ensure the safety and security of all participants.