Anti-ICE protesters shut down the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge for about an hour at midday to demand that federal immigration agents leave New York City, and police arrested 14 people.
Story Highlights
- Protesters blocked the Brooklyn Bridge roadway on the Manhattan side around 12:30 p.m. and stranded commuters for about an hour.
- The NYPD confirmed 14 arrests and reported no injuries. All lanes reopened shortly before 1:30 p.m.
- The group said it acted over an ICE shooting in Marble Hill earlier in October and wants ICE out of New York City.
- Protesters demanded the release of Oscar Belgal, the man ICE agents shot, and an end to police cooperation with ICE.
- The Department of Homeland Security says Belgal drove his SUV at agents and has past arrests for assault, robbery and weapons possession.
Bridge Blockade Stops Traffic and Ends in Arrests
Dozens of protesters walked onto the Brooklyn Bridge roadway on the Manhattan side on Wednesday, October 28, at about 12:30 p.m. They lined up across the lanes and refused repeated police orders to leave, according to reports. Traffic heading into Manhattan backed up while drivers sat and honked. On video, some drivers begged to be let through. One driver shouted a plea to be allowed to get to work.
The group said it was protesting because of an ICE shooting in Marble Hill earlier in the month, and it wants ICE out of the city. ICE is Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency that arrests and deports people who are in the country illegally. Officers moved in and took people into custody. The NYPD confirmed 14 arrests and said no one was hurt. Officials reopened all lanes shortly before 1:30 p.m. Police have not released the charges.
Protesters Link the Action to an ICE Shooting
The shooting the protesters cited happened on Thursday, October 8, in Marble Hill. Marble Hill is a small Manhattan neighborhood that sits on the Bronx side of the Harlem River, which is why some reports place it in the Bronx. ICE agents were trying to arrest Oscar Belgal, 28, when at least one agent fired several shots into the SUV he was driving. The Department of Homeland Security, which runs ICE, says Belgal drove his car toward officers and the agent fired in self-defense. DHS calls him a criminal illegal alien from the Dominican Republic and says he has past arrests for assault, robbery and weapons possession. A relative said Belgal’s 5-year-old son was in the back seat and was not hurt.
Belgal was taken to a hospital in stable condition, police said, and ICE later took him into federal custody. His lawyers have asked a court to release him. At the bridge, protesters shouted “Free Oscar Belgal!” and chanted “NYPD, K-K-K, I-C-E, THEY’RE ALL THE SAME!” They called on the NYPD to stop working with federal immigration agents, according to reports.
Several activist groups took part, according to reports. They included Extinction Rebellion New York City and Climate Defiance, two groups known for climate protests, along with Planet Over Profit and Port of Elizabeth Movement.
Commuters Pay the Price
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the busiest crossings in the city, and the people stuck on it had nothing to do with the dispute. Drivers on their way to jobs, deliveries and appointments lost an hour in the middle of a workday. Blocking a road like this also slows ambulances and fire trucks that may need to get through.
New Yorkers can argue about immigration enforcement, and the courts protect the right to protest in public places. That right does not include shutting down a major road and ignoring police orders to clear it, which is why officers moved in. The mayor’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the blockade, according to reports.
Sources:
abc7ny.com, brooklynpaper.com, nydailynews.com, upi.com