Midtown traffic blocked by ICE protest; 48 people arrested, NYPD says

Dozens of people from the group Rise and Resist blocked 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue to protest the administration's immigration policies. — Dozens of people from the group Rise and Resist blocked 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue to protest the administration’s immigration policies. Photo Credit: Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix/Atsushi Nishijima/Netflix

Four dozen people were arrested Monday evening after they blocked traffic in midtown to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

The demonstration, organized by Rise and Resist, started around 5 p.m. at the intersection of 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Holding banners and signs reading “Close the Camps,” “No Raids” and “Abolish ICE,” participants denounced the treatment of migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, the threat of raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across the country and the separation of immigrant families.

A man is seen getting arrested at the protest in midtown. He was one of 48 people arrested, police said. Photo Credit: Jefferson Siegel

“We’ve all read the news, seen the images, and heard the children’s heart-wrenching cries. But what are we doing? What are you doing?” Rise and Resist member Jody Kuh said in a statement. “Today I’m risking arrest by disrupting people’s normal, ordinary routines to draw attention to the fact that what’s happening all around us isn’t normal.”

The protest held up traffic for at least an hour before police began making arrests.

Chanting, "Close the Camps," the demonstrators tied up traffic for an hour until police moved in and arrested 48 people. Photo Credit: Jefferson Siegel

Thirty-five women and 13 men were arrested, police said. Most were expected to be issued desk appearance tickets for disorderly conduct.

“Everyone getting arrested in this video will be treated 100 times better than asylum seekers,” Rise and Resist wrote on Twitter with a video of some of the arrests.