For the second day in a row, hundreds have taken to the streets of San Francisco's Mission District to protest the ICE raids sweeping through California. The evening's activities began at Mission Street and 24th Avenue and included a separate rally at City Hall to denounce both the raids and President Trump's travel ban. According to CBS News Bay Area, one protester declared, "The people in our federal government, who are making decisions to put troops on the streets and to round up members of our community, need to see we are not with them and that we will stand against them."
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie reiterated his stance, expressing his support for residents' right to protest peacefully while making it clear the city will "never tolerate violent and destructive behavior." Late Monday, following some altercations, police detained multiple individuals. San Francisco police reported that "Thousands participated in demonstrations today that were overwhelmingly peaceful," with a small number resorting to vandalism at the end of the night, according to a statement. The protest was largely peaceful before these incidents, with 154 people arrested the previous night for minor offences during similar demonstrations, as reported by CBS News Bay Area.
An SFGATE article illuminated the scale of Monday night's protest, revealing an estimated 9,000 participants infused with the dark beat of YG’s “FDT” and Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” Protesters made their voices heard through chants and music, as they skated, scooted, and marched bearing banners against ICE's actions. The crowds, which included families and children, were part of what organizer Richard Becker described as an "epic battle" with the Trump administration.
San Francisco's sanctuary city status, aimed to protect its immigrant community, was a point of contention at the rally as attendees demanded action from their local leaders. Supervisor Jackie Fielder was among the speakers at the rally and decried the arrests from Sunday night, telling the gathered crowd, "Arresting protesters doesn't protect communities. It punishes hope," as quoted by SFGATE. ICE has not shied away from making arrests within the sanctuary city's limits, having conducted operations directly at the San Francisco Immigration Court, detaining immigrants, including children.
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