San Francisco anti-ICE protest escalates into clash with police; 148 adults, 6 minors arrested

An anti-ICE protest outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in San Francisco on Sunday evening escalated a clash with the San Francisco Police Department, shifting the focus from immigration law enforcement to law enforcement itself.

The rally, organized by the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL), began peacefully around 6 pm at 630 Sansome Street with speeches and chants centered on the theme “stand up, fight back.” Speakers condemned deportations and linked immigration enforcement to broader systemic injustice.

“An attack on immigrants is an attack on our communities, is an attack on our neighborhoods, is an attack on our co-workers — is an attack on all of us,” said one organizer, who asked to remain anonymous.

Longtime PSL activist and former political candidate Gloria La Riva linked the exploitation of immigrant labor and the deportation of migrants to broader financial struggles that many Americans face. 

“Immigrant workers are the most exploited, but we’re all exploited… we’re all facing this war on the workers.”

Tensions began to shift when several masked demonstrators threw eggs and red paintballs at the ICE building. Soon after, another masked protester began spraying graffiti with slogans like “F— ICE”, “ICE out of California”, and “ACAB” along the exterior. 

It was at this point that protesters noticed SFPD vans and roughly 30 officers — in helmets and armed with batons and “less-lethal” launchers — assembling a block away. Their arrival seemed to galvanize the crowd, which shifted its focus from ICE to anti-police law enforcement. 

The protesters approached the officers, who had by then formed a line across Sansome, and for a good half hour it looked as if the event would end in a stalemate. The anti-ICE message had given way to chants like “fuck the police” and “who do you serve, who do you protect?” but neither police nor protesters attempted to cross the invisible line between them.

The deadlock broke when officers advanced and ordered the crowd to move toward Market Street. Protesters attempted to place metal barricades between themselves and police, resulting in a physical clash, with officers grabbing at the barricades and striking demonstrators.

Multiple attendees reported being shoved or struck with batons. One protester was knocked to the ground. Another described being pushed into a fire hydrant and then hit in the chest when she couldn’t back away fast enough.

At least two people were arrested during the confrontation, though it remains unclear if charges were filed. Two officers also received minor injuries; one was transported to a local hospital for treatment and was released this morning.

After briefly dispersing, demonstrators regrouped at the Embarcadero and began marching down Market Street, trailed by police. The crowd led officers through downtown to Market and Kearney, eventually leading to a second clash that resulted in multiple arrests. .

At a noon press conference today acting Chief of Police Paul Yep described yesterday’s events as first amendment activity gone wrong. 

“Individuals are always free to exercise their constitutional rights, but let me be clear, violence and property destruction will never be tolerated in San Francisco.”

He confirmed that 148 people were arrested over the course of the night, 147 of whom were cited and released; six minors were also arrested. 

According to SFPD, 29-year-old Luis Fernando Leah was the only demonstrator to be booked into San Francisco County Jail on the felony charges of assaulting a peace officer with a deadly weapon, removing a weapon from a peace officer, and resisting arrest.