By Matthew Holloway |
On Monday night, hundreds of protesters organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation took to the streets of Phoenix. They marched against the mass deportation policy of the Trump administration in front of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office on Central Avenue and the Capitol Museum.
The demonstrators blocked traffic and paraded with obscene signs and Mexican flags. The protests, which included several distinct marches throughout the city, were part of a “Day Without Immigrants,” opposed to the enforcement of U.S. immigration law. AZ Central reported that several incidents of reckless driving near a protest at 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road were observed with at least one person detained by Arizona State Troopers after fireworks were set off in the street. The radical leftist group posted to Instagram on Sunday, “Join us tomorrow to stand against the attacks on our communities. We refuse to let ICE tear apart our families and terrorize our people. Arizona says NO to raids, NO to deportations, NO to family separation!”
AZCentral noted that, among the signs visible, some read: “Families belong together” and “Donald Trump is a racist to all nations,” as well as “No more ICE,” “Don’t bite the hands that feed you,” “We speak for those that can’t” and “Mexicans Aren’t Going Anywhere.”
Metro Light Rail service was impacted by the protestors taking over the intersection as they approached Monterey Park, as reported by Arizona Family. ABC15 reported that the intersection was later closed by Phoenix Police responding to “reckless and unsafe” activity there.
Arizona Senator Wendy Rogers posted video of the march in front of the Capitol Museum, referring the gathering to ICE writing, “Hey @ICEgov! Right now. One-stop shop our in front of the @azcapitolmuseum”
Independent journalist ‘The Stu Studio’ posted a video of protestors to X chanting “Chinga La Migra!” which roughly translates to “F**k the Border Patrol,” in front of the ICE field office in Phoenix.
A Phoenix Police Spokesman Sgt. Robert Scherer told AZCentral that Phoenix PD was notified of the protest in advance and had officers monitoring the situation. “The Phoenix Police Department respects the rights of all community members to peacefully express their first amendment rights,” he said in a statement.
“To ensure the safety of our community, resources were organized, and we began to monitor activity related to this event,” said Scherer. “This included working with our partners with the Arizona Department of Public Safety.”
Matthew Holloway is a senior reporter for AZ Free News. Follow him on X for his latest stories, or email tips to Matthew@azfreenews.com.
