More than 80 protestors brought northbound traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge to a standstill on Oct. 28, according to a press release from a climate organizer’s coalition.
The protest follows the shooting of Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old father who was shot in the neck by an ICE agent on Oct. 8 in the presence of his 5-year-old son.
Banners on the bridge read “Abolish ICE,” and “Stop Shooting Us.” As demonstrators chanted and spoke to the crowd, traffic was brought to a standstill for more than an hour.
“We will not stand by while our neighbors and children, our mothers and brothers, are shot in the streets, terrorized as they go to school, feed our country and care for our sick,” said Nate Smith, organizer at Climate Defiance.
Protestors also called on the NYPD to cease cooperation with federal immigration forces.
According to Pix11, police say that at least 14 people were taken into custody for blocking traffic around 12:30pm, although it was not immediately clear how many people would be charged.
According to the New York Post, many nearby drivers were frustrated at the protest.
“We have to go to work,” shouted one truck driver. “Look, I’m with you guys, but we need to go to work, please.”
One driver, however, expressed support for the demonstration. “ICE is taking away people and deporting people, and it’s just inhumane,” they said.
Elected officials, including New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have condemned ICE following the incident. Mamdani demanded an end to ICE presence in New York City all together, stating that their actions make the city “less safe.”
Since the shooting, Belgal has been transferred to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he was reportedly denied temporary release for medical care.
