A large anti-ICE demonstration in Lower Manhattan spiraled into violence Tuesday evening, ending with 86 arrests after clashes between protesters and police near City Hall.
The protest, sparked by ongoing federal immigration raids, brought thousands to Foley Square in a tense standoff with the NYPD. As night fell, law enforcement officers in riot gear moved in to disperse the crowd. Dozens were detained amid chants, shoving matches, and projectiles thrown at officers.
By early Wednesday, police reported that 34 people had been formally arrested on disorderly conduct charges. An additional 52 demonstrators received criminal court summonses for lesser violations.
The rally, which began peacefully in the early afternoon, quickly escalated. Many in the crowd wore face coverings and keffiyehs, holding signs that read “Abolish ICE” and “ICE out of New York!” Chants included: “Brick by brick, wall by wall, this racist system has got to fall.”
Among the speakers were Brooklyn Councilwoman Shahana Hanif and New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
“In my community everyone is anxious,” Hanif told the crowd. “Mayor Adams has made it clear he does not care about working class people… he is collaborating with Trump to use tactics bringing out the military. He’s ok with ICE attacking our communities.”
Williams, speaking outside the federal courthouse, added: “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.”
As the evening unfolded, confrontations intensified. Some protesters attempted to breach police barricades surrounding the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building. Others were seen throwing water bottles at officers and trying to block an ICE van from leaving the facility.
Video footage circulated on social media showing NYPD officers forcefully subduing demonstrators. One clip captured a woman wearing a black-and-white keffiyeh being slammed to the ground near toppled barricades. In another video, police detained a masked man by grabbing his backpack; his companion was also arrested after trying to intervene.
On Monday, ahead of the Manhattan protest, Mayor Eric Adams held a press conference alongside Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch, condemning the riots that had erupted days earlier in Los Angeles.
“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. Tisch warned that “any attacks against law enforcement will be met with a swift and decisive response from the NYPD.”
The Manhattan protest came on the heels of five straight nights of anti-ICE demonstrations in Los Angeles, where President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines.
According to New York Post sources, Trump recently assured city officials he would not send federal forces to New York — provided local police maintained order. That pledge was reportedly made during a private meeting Sunday at Trump’s Bedminster golf club with Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Kaz Daughtry and NYPD Chief of Department John Chell.
During the conversation, Chell reportedly told the president there would be no need for military intervention in New York. “Any demonstrations in the city wouldn’t get out of hand,” Chell is said to have assured Trump.
Photos of the meeting posted on social media drew criticism across New York political circles. “Great day on the links today with POTUS, #45-#47 – Donald J. Trump,” Chell wrote on X. “Good conversation with a few laughs and a great lunch. Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Kaz Daughtry and I were grateful for the invite.”
Mayor Adams defended the meeting on Tuesday. “A lot of great deals have been made on the golf course,” he told reporters. “I thank the two of them for doing it.”
Both Daughtry and Chell had previously attended Trump’s presidential inauguration earlier this year.
Meanwhile, similar anti-ICE demonstrations have erupted in cities including San Francisco, Seattle, and Chicago. On Monday, several protesters were arrested outside Trump Tower in Manhattan after refusing to disperse.
