“ice Out, Shut It Down!”: Thousands In New York Take To The Streets Against Ice

15,000 people took to the streets of New York City on Friday as part of the national day of action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) calling for no work, no school, and no shopping. Like in cities across the country, workers and students protested the murders of activists Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, as well as the attacks on Minneapolis and on immigrants across the country. Just this year, eight people have been murdered by federal immigration agents. 

Friday’s mobilization comes on the heels of last week’s huge protests in which Minneapolis ground to a halt and 50,000 people took to the streets and 10,000 people demonstrated in New York City, including important contingents of unions.

“This reminds me of Black Lives Matter — as a mass protest and a national movement,” one participant said of Friday’s mobilization.

Students also walked out. At 11:00 a.m. in Washington Square Park, high school students and NYU students held an action speaking out against ICE. Later, Brooklyn Tech students held a massive walkout. And later, hundreds of students marched together to Foley Square.

This comes as numerous small businesses shut their doors in solidarity with the fight against ICE. That includes queer bars like C’Mon Everybody and Good Judy, to art studios and yoga studios. Many who didn’t close will donate funds to immigrants rights groups

Healthcare workers — many of whom are on strike in New York City as part of the NYSNA union — are speaking out against ICE and called for a vigil for Pretti, an ICU nurse. 

Notably absent from yesterday’s march in New York City were the unions, despite a sizable presence last week from the UFT, PSC, WGA, and other labor organizations. This is a missed opportunity to build a stronger, deeper, and united movement of students and workers, inspired by the city-wide mass movement occurring in Minneapolis. 

What the protest in New York showed is that this movement against ICE is national — and it’s not going anywhere.

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