‘Day of Action’ Brings 50K Protesters to Downtown Minneapolis
The front of the march arrives outside Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday, Jan. 23. MN CRIME PHOTO
BY MN CRIME STAFF
An estimated 50,000 people filled the streets Friday afternoon in downtown Minneapolis and gathered at Target Center following an anti-ICE march from The Commons park.
The event was part of a statewide “Day of Action,” protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Minnesota.
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Organizers say more than 50,000 people took part in the downtown march, which was the largest of the coordinated demonstrations across the metro. The protests are aimed at opposing an ICE enforcement surge that has involved the deployment of several thousand federal agents since late last year.
Earlier in the day, protesters gathered near the Fort Snelling light rail platform and blocked the north access road to the federal Whipple Building. The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office said deputies and assisting agencies spent several hours on scene and issued three dispersal orders after repeated attempts to get the group to clear the road.
Authorities said ice chunks were thrown at vehicles, breaking windows, and that people who refused to comply with the orders or engaged in unlawful behavior were arrested. The sheriff’s office urged the public to avoid the area.
Protesters outside MSP Airport on Friday, Jan. 23. MN CRIME PHOTO
Another protest unfolded at Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, where demonstrators opposed the use of deportation flights operating out of the airport. Faith in Minnesota, a progressive advocacy group involved in organizing the action, said roughly 100 clergy members were detained or arrested during that protest.
A spokesperson for the group said those detained were cited for misdemeanor trespassing or failure to comply with an officer and were later released.
The coordinated protests were organized as part of a broader call for Minnesotans to skip work, school and shopping for the day, with organizers framing the action as a show of economic and civic resistance to federal immigration enforcement practices.
Protesters outside the federal Whipple Building on Friday, Jan. 23. MN CRIME PHOTO
