City: 30 arrests, some damage caused during raucous ICE protest in downtown Minneapolis

A raucous protest Friday night, Jan. 9, in downtown Minneapolis against ramped-up immigration enforcement led to arrests and modest property damage but no reported injuries, city officials say.

Two days after an ICE agent killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Portland Avenue in south Minneapolis, about a thousand people converged outside the Canopy by Hilton and Depot Renaissance hotels, working on the belief that ICE agents were being housed there.

The protesters blew whistles and banged drums to create a cacophony of noise and shined lights on windows, tactics commonly used to disrupt agents’ rest and create an unwelcome atmosphere.

Officials said police arrested 30 people for blocking streets and damaging property. All were soon released from custody, the city said.

The protesters caused about $6,000 in damage from broken windows and graffiti at the Depot Renaissance Hotel, the city said.

At about 8:30 p.m., early on in the gathering, police were alerted to a driver heading toward a building, but officers found no damage in the area.

“Preliminary information indicates that a possibly intoxicated woman parked the vehicle, walked around the area and entered a nearby hotel prior to officers’ arrival,” the city officials said. “While investigating, a crowd formed around officers, but they were able to leave the area. One officer has minor injuries that did not require medical attention.”

Around 9:45 p.m., a group of people returned to the Canopy Hotel and forced their way in through an alley entrance. Hotel security controlled the situation, and the intruders left.

About 10:15 p.m., police declared an unlawful assembly and issued multiple dispersal orders as about 200 law enforcement officers formed lines and moved in to corral the remaining protesters. Some people were detained, cited and released. Eventually, the main crowd began to disperse.

But a smaller group continued through downtown. Others remained near the Canopy Hotel, where police again ordered protesters to disperse and more people were detained and cited. The unlawful assembly declaration ended around 1 a.m.

Officers with the Minneapolis Police Department, State Patrol and Minnesota Department of Natural Resources assisted throughout the night.

“I’m inspired by the countless community members who have showed up to provide food, advocate for justice and keep the peace,” Mayor Jacob Frey said in a statement.

City officials also reminded the public about what forms of protest are legal and which are not.

“People have the right to peacefully protest and exercise their First Amendment rights,” the city said in a statement Saturday. “People can assemble peacefully in public spaces and on sidewalks, not roadways or freeways. They can carry signs and chant. They cannot throw objects, start fires or damage property. They also cannot use fireworks or weapons.”