Philadelphia police clashed with people protesting the Trump administration’s accelerating deportation efforts Tuesday night in Center City.
A clip circulating on social media shows an officer pushing demonstrators before tackling to ground a masked protester dressed in black. The Inquirer posted a video that appears to show a PPD officer kneeling on an individual’s head and neck to subdue them. Both pieces of footage were taken on East Market Street.
Police distributed a video Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to identify a man they say threw a traffic cone at officers while they were making an arrest. The clip does not show the incident, only still images of the suspect.
The cone struck a bicycle officer in the head, but he was wearing a helmet and was not hurt, police said. A fellow officer arrested a man at the scene; however, investigators later determined he was not involved and released him, authorities explained.
Law enforcement said two demonstrators and two bicycle officers were treated for minor injuries. Fifteen adults were arrested, with the most serious allegations against a man set to be charged with aggravated assault on police, according to the PPD.
Everyone else was arrested for disorderly conduct, authorities said. In addition, a police car was vandalized with spray-paint, the department added.
About 150 protesters showed up, police said, at around 4 p.m. Tuesday outside the Federal Detention Center, at 7th and Arch streets, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is currently detaining more than 40 people. They marched to ICE’s Philadelphia field office, at 8th and Cherry streets, and back, law enforcement added.
At around 6:15 p.m., the crowds began occupying major roads, and police issued three orders to disperse about 30 minutes later, authorities said. Just before 7 p.m., the group became “violent and extremely disorderly” after officers began attempting to make arrests, according to the PPD’s account.
Department officials said “several” officers used force, and that each incident has been documented and will be reviewed for compliance with PPD’s guidelines.
“The Philadelphia Police Department supports the public’s right to lawful, peaceful protest,” police said in a statement. “We remain committed to facilitating First Amendment activity while protecting public safety and maintaining order on city streets.”
The FDC demonstration seems to have been marketed through an online flyer entitled “Rage Against ICE Emergency Action” that encouraged people to “Flood the streets ALL NIGHT.” It asserted that five individuals had been “kidnapped” by immigration authorities Tuesday.
While that claim could not be verified, Juntos, a Latine immigrant rights group, said they confirmed agents wearing DEA and FBI vests took a man into custody Tuesday morning in the area of 7th Street and Snyder Avenue in South Philadelphia.
Last week, ICE made a string of arrests in Norristown, and immigration authorities were also spotted in Warminster.
MSNBC reported Tuesday that the Trump administration is planning to deploy ICE tactical response teams to five Democratic-controlled areas, including Philadelphia. No information was included about when those raids might begin.
There’s been a groundswell of activism against Trump’s immigration policies in recent days. Much of the attention has been on Los Angeles, where the president has deployed the National Guard and Marines to quell unrest.
Demonstrations are also becoming increasingly prevalent in Philadelphia. On Monday, the Service Employees International Union’s local chapter organized a rally in support of David Huerta, the SEIU California president who was arrested during a protest.
On Saturday, Philadelphia will host one of the flagship “No Kings” events, which organizers say is expected to be “the largest single-day mobilization since President Trump returned to office.” Participants are planning to march from Love Park to Eakins Oval, in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where Bishop William J. Barber and Martin Luther King III, among others, are slated to speak.
More than 1,800 “No Kings”-related events are scheduled across the country Saturday to coincide with Trump’s birthday, Flag Day and the U.S. Army anniversary celebration in Washington D.C., where the president is anticipated to play a major role.
