Whipple protests: 38 arrests made during Sunday protest

FORT SNELLING, Minn. (FOX 9) - Thirty-eight people were arrested Sunday as protests at the Whipple Building at Fort Snelling turned heated.

Whipple arrests

What we know:

Deputies issued dispersal orders Sunday morning after individuals blocked roadways and access to businesses and threw objects at law enforcement.

Thirty-eight people were cited and released, and one person was booked into jail for a riot-related charge.

What they're saying:

In a Facebook post, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office stated: "Freedom of speech and peaceful assembly is a right. Endangering the public is not. Unlawful activity including blocking roads, intentionally creating hazards and assaultive behavior will not be tolerated."

Whipple protests

The backstory:

The Whipple Building is a federal building that houses the Minnesota ICE field office. It has been the site of frequent protests since the start of the federal surge in Minnesota.

It's not uncommon for protests at the Whipple to turn heated. On Jan. 16, 12 people were arrested for reported attacks on federal officers at the Whipple.

According to the activist group "Melt the ICE," there were 750 people involved in Sunday's protest. In a statement provided by the group, an attendee said: "Today, people gathered at Whipple to show ICE that even as their operations change in Minnesota, our resolve and determination will not. We celebrate the moral clarity of all those who have interfered with ICE operations and stood strong to protect our community. And it's not just about ICE out of Minnesota, it's about ICE out of everywhere. We won't stop until this violent force is dismantled."