Minneapolis ICE shooting: 30 detained as Hilton Canopy Hotel protests escalate overnight
Anti-ICE Hilton hotel protests escalate in Minneapolis
At least 30 people were detained as anti-ICE protests outside a Hilton hotel in Minneapolis escalated on Friday.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Minneapolis police say they detained and cited 30 people as anti-ICE protests escalated Friday night outside the Hilton Canopy Hotel in downtown Minneapolis.
Minneapolis hotel protest
The backstory:
A crowd of several hundred people initially gathered near the Canopy Hotel on the 700 block of 3rd Street South around 8:00 p.m. Friday. Police say the group later moved to the Depot Renaissance Hotel, where property damage was reported.
Protesters have staged protests at these hotels because they believe ICE agents are staying there as guests. Hilton hotels especially have become targets for protests after the company removed a Lakeville hotel from its system for denying ICE bookings.
What they're saying:
"Over the course of the night, individuals threw snow, ice, and rocks at officers, police vehicles, and other vehicles in the roadway," police said.
At 8:30 p.m., police were called to a report of a vehicle being driven at a building. When officer arrived on scene, they found a vehicle on the sidewalk but found no visible damage. Officers later learned that a "belligerent and possibly intoxicated woman" had parked the car on the sidewalk and went into a nearby hotel.
Unlawful assembly declared
What we know:
Police say at around 9:45 p.m., the protest returned to the Canopy Hotel and some members of the group attempted to force their way into the hotel through an alleyway entrance.
About 30 minutes later, police declared an unlawful assembly and began issuing dispersal orders. At that point, police began to detain and cite individuals who were causing problems.
In total, police say at least 30 people were cited.
Local perspective:
Saturday morning, officials said there was about $6,000 worth of damage and graffiti to the Depot Renaissance Hotel.
What's next:
City officials say they have all hands on deck to deal with any trouble moving forward. The police department has canceled all days off and Chief O'Hara says they have close to 100% of sworn officers available for response.
Mayor Jacob Frey is urging protesters to remain peaceful and not to "take the bait."
"I also want to acknowledge that the vast majority of people have protested peacefully," said the mayor. "Recognizing that I have seen community members sort of step into the breach, recognizing that there are others out there – agitators – that are trying to rile up large crowds. And not only have they not taken the bait, they have pushed others back from the brink to say, ‘Hey, you know what? This is what Donald Trump wants. He wants us to take the bait. He wants those agitators to get ahold of this crowd in a way that it makes them cause harm to others and or damage to property.’ And so to them, I want to say my deepest thanks. We are so grateful for everything that you've been doing."