Protest against ICE in Austin leads to arrests and claims of police aggression

AUSTIN, Texas — Tensions remained high in downtown Austin on Sunday following an anti-ICE protest that organizers say ended with multiple arrests and an aggressive police response.

Members of the activist group Dare to Struggle Austin said they had been gathered outside the Travis County Jail since 9 p.m. Saturday as they awaited the release of protesters taken into custody during the demonstration.

During a Sunday afternoon press conference, organizers described what they called a brutal response by law enforcement during the protest, which they said drew more than 100 people to the area outside the JJ Pickle Federal Building downtown.

The protest was held in response to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, who was shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Organizers accused both the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Austin Police Department of cracking down on demonstrators, saying officers charged into the crowd using bicycles and fired pepper spray pellets.

At least seven people were arrested, according to organizers, including one person they say was detained after the protest had ended while walking to their car. The Austin Police Department estimates they will have more accurate arrest numbers to report on Monday.

Police detain protesters as tensions rise at Austin’s ‘End ICE Terror’ protest

The confrontation followed hours of escalating tension between protesters and law enforcement, and as demonstrators blocked traffic at a busy downtown intersection.

“I think that it’s definitely not okay that people are dying in detention centers and getting shot by ICE agents,” said Emilia, a member of Dare to Struggle Austin. “That’s what’s important, not traffic.”

At Sunday’s press conference, the group called for all arrested protesters to be released and for charges against them to be dropped. Organizers also demanded murder charges against Jonathon Ross and all ICE agents involved in Good’s death, charges against officers they accuse of using excessive force, and for ICE to leave Austin.

Gov. Greg Abbott responded to the protest on social media, writing “Texas is not Minnesota,” and saying the Texas Department of Public Safety would not put up with defiant protesters.

In a statement to CBS Austin, he said, “What happened in Minnesota is the direct result of years of reckless and dangerous rhetoric from national Democratic leaders. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officers have the right to defend themselves while carrying out their lawful responsibility. Using a vehicle as a weapon, threatening officers, or attempting to obstruct the enforcement of the law is dangerous and inexcusable. ICE agents should never have to fear for their lives for doing their jobs. In Texas, we back the men and women in uniform, we enforce the law, and put public safety as a top priority.” – Texas Governor Greg Abbott.