Yves here. Protest against Trump policies so far appears to not be accomplishing much, even in the face of his rising disapproval ratings. Pink pussy hats and No Kings marches do not appear to have had any impact on his actions.
However, unlike the 1960s Vietnam War and civil rights marches, demonstrations against Trump have often been about Trump the person or an inchoate opposition to Trump authoritarianism, as opposed to seeking to reverse particular policies. Here the ICE component of anti-Trump action is different in having a clear focus. And as we will discuss below, a weekend on-the-fly effort in New York City to stop an ICE raid does appear to have been narrowly successful, in that the raid did not come off, and that despite the NYPD coming in to clear out the protests, police chief Jessica Tisch called ICE to complain, apparently fiercely, about the raid.
Even though NYPD did come in to assist ICE to escape having been temporarily contained in one of its facilities, I infer (it is not clearly explained in the accounts I have seen so far) that what may have been the point of contention is the way ICE left when it finally could leave. Tisch’s objection was that ICE had endangered the safety of NYC citizens and the police. Remember that even under current mayor Eric Adams, NYPD is not assisting ICE; it came to the scene due to the clash with protestors and protestors using pallets and trash to try to block the intended ICE advance. From the New York Times account:
The confrontation, which appeared to foil the raid, underscored the numerous challenges the federal government faces in trying to stage raids in a dense city like New York, where pushback from protesters in a largely liberal city appears inevitable.
The standoff began just after 11 a.m., when a handful of protesters gathered outside a garage on the edge of Chinatown, on Centre and Hester Streets, where agents from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security had been arriving.
As the agents’ vehicles moved to leave, protesters blocked them, forming a barricade at the mouth of the garage with their bodies and piling mounds of garbage bags beside them. The standoff continued for the better part of an hour as more and more protesters arrived.
By the early afternoon, nearly 200 people had gathered on the street outside, chanting and yelling at the agents, who peered out from inside the garage.
Police officers soon arrived on the scene, arresting a handful of protesters and placing metal barricades between the agents and the group outside. But the presence of local law enforcement did little to ease tensions…
Just after 1:15 p.m., the confrontation erupted into chaos when agents burst from the garage in their vehicles and protesters chased them down Canal Street, hurling planters and trash cans after them. At one point, a protester ran in front of one of the moving vehicles and a masked agent sprayed something at protesters from the open windows.
On the street, police officers and protesters continued to clash, shoving each other in the middle of incoming traffic while the vehicles sped away…
Jessica Tisch, the head of the New York Police Department, vehemently criticized the actions of the federal agents during a phone call on Saturday with Ricky Patel, the special agent in charge of New York’s Homeland Security Investigations office, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak publicly. She told him that the raid was “unacceptable” and that such shows of force had put New Yorkers, federal agents and her officers in harm’s way, the person said.
It is fashionable among both conservatives and the avocado toast crowd to denigrate militancy, since it threatens property, which they seem as more important than human rights. And in general protest does look ineffective in the near term. As reader Richard Kline pointed out in 2010:
The nut of the matter is this: you lose, you lose, you lose, you lose, they give up. As someone who has protested, and studied the process, it’s plain that one spends most of one’s time begin defeated. That’s painful, humiliating, and intimidating. One can’t expect typically, as in a battle, to get a clean shot at a clear win. What you do with protest is just what Hari discusses, you change the context, and that change moves the goalposts on your opponent, grounds out the current in their machine. The nonviolent resistance in Hungary in the 1860s (yes, that’s in the 19th century) is an excellent example. Communist rule in Russia and its dependencies didn’t fail because protestors ‘won’ but because most simply withdrew their cooperation to the point it suffocated.
However, the Trump administration brooks no opposition and is fond of using violence to get its way. Will refusniks match them, as Frederick Douglass warned was necessary?
Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.
By Gwynne Hogan, Alex Krales and Katie Honan. Published at THE CITY on November 29, 2025
The NYPD arrested more than a dozen people and unleashed clouds of pepper spray on a spontaneous protest formed around a SoHo parking garage where masked agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had gathered inside.
It’s unclear exactly what the federal agents had planned for Saturday. Around 11 a.m the agents began staging inside the federally owned parking facility at Howard and Center Streets, near the spot on Canal Street where federal agents using military gear had carried out a wave of arrests of immigrant street vendors last month.
Hellgate reported ICE had planned another large-scale immigration raid for Saturday afternoon that got hastily called off as protesters and vendors appeared to have heard of it.
Word quickly spread among activists and a growing crowd formed outside the garage chanting “ICE out of New York,” as some demonstrators attempted to block the street and garage exits with traffic cones and overturned trash cans while masked agents looked on from above.
NYPD officers arrived on the scene and helped the agents shove protesters out of the way, erecting metal barricades around the parking garage and arresting several demonstrators. After a standoff that lasted roughly two hours, the officers managed to clear the way for around two dozen federal vehicles to exit the parking garage and leave the area.
“It’s really despicable, it seems like the NYPD — especially the [Strategic Response Group, the NYPD’s counter-terrorism unit] — is working to clear the way for ICE agents to go out in our city to do arrests,” said local City Councilmember Christopher Marte, who rushed to the street after hearing about the standoff.
A statement provided by the NYPD said officers arrived shortly before noon after getting a 911 call for a “disorderly group.”
“Upon arrival, officers observed multiple individuals who were blocking the street and exits at different locations. The individuals were also observed throwing debris,” the statement said. “They were instructed multiple times to disperse, and they did not comply. As a result, multiple individuals were taken into custody.”
In an emailed statement, DHS declined to say what agents had planned for Saturday and thanked the NYPD for intervening.
“We are grateful for the NYPD officers that responded to these violent agitators and stopped the lawlessness that ensued,” the statement said.
“We will never apologize for enforcing the law and removing criminal illegal aliens including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members and terrorists from our communities. We won’t let violent rioters slow us down, and anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted them [sic] to the fullest extent of the law.”
A spokesperson for Mayor Eric Adams didn’t respond to a request for comment from THE CITY.
Monica Klein, a spokesperson for Zohran Mamdani, said in a statement that “the Mayor-elect has made it clear — including to the President — that these raids are cruel and inhumane and fail to advance genuine public safety.”
“The Mayor-elect remains steadfast in his commitment to protecting the rights and dignity of every single New Yorker, upholding our sanctuary laws and deescalation rather than use of unnecessary force,” she said.
As the stream of federal vans and cars attempted to leave the area, smaller groups of protesters left a path of overturned trash cans and debris along Canal Street attempting to slow them down. Dozens of NYPD officers pursued the protesters, unleashing clouds of pepper spray and making several more arrests along Canal Street.
“You understand this is not your battle,” said Kaleed Ravis, 52, pleading with NYPD officers to be gentle with one protester who had his arm twisted behind his back. Ravis, a New Jersey resident, was out shopping when he heard the commotion and joined the protesters.
The throngs of federal agents, NYPD officers and protesters cause chaos along Canal Street for several hours on “Small Business Saturday,” a huge day for tourists and holiday shoppers.
“We’re really nosy, it’s the Scottish in us,” said one Scottish tourist who had stopped to observe, declining to give her name.
Nineteen-year-old Ali Boussi had come to Canal Street to “get some fake Gucci” while visiting his dad from Detroit, though he hadn’t been able to find any for sale that day, as street vendors — who had been out selling on Canal on Friday — had seemed to have cleared out for the day.
“Fuck ICE, why are they doing this? We’re all one kind,” he said. “It hurts me inside. We’re all people.”
Dozens of federal agents descended on Canal Street in October targeting street vendors, arresting nine West African immigrants, the largest military-style immigration raids in New York City. Since then, ICE agents have randomly detained undocumented New Yorkers on the street, targeting predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods which activists and lawyers have called profiling.
There have been other violent raids, including one earlier this month, when agents burst into a woman’s apartment in East Elmhurst before dawn looking for a relative that no longer lived there.
The agents pointed a gun at a 33-year-old mother and her four children, dragging her by her hair and pointing an assault rifle at her 13-year-old daughter.
“Put your fucking hands up, stupid,” one agent was heard yelling in a brief video of the raid.
Earlier this month border czar Tom Homan vowed to increase immigration raids and has said he plans to visit New York City in the coming weeks.
It is fashionable among both conservatives and the avocado-toast crowd to denigrate militancy, since it threatens property, which they deem as more important than human rights.
Thank you, Yves Smith. This statement of fact is what should be engraved on the façade of the palace of the U.S. Supreme Court. It is, without a doubt, the, errrrr, ethic of Little Sammy Alito.
I’d assess the protestors’ action as successful. Any time a protest or demonstration can disrupt the work of the powerful to this extent, it is a success. The Richard Kline quote is the best attitude. Let’s think of seemingly unsuccessful actions like the lunch-counter protests that started in 1960 in South Carolina: Excellent tactic, serving its strategy. Likewise, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, which took months. What the NY protesters lack, though, is a plan to protest repeatedly, regularly, and in larger groups.
The problem here, too, is that the anti-ICE protests have to make demands. Besides withdrawal of the occupiers, people are going to have to start demanding the dissolution of “Homeland Security” as well as TSA at the airports as well as the FBI and CIA. The protesters should demand arrests and trials of those who abuse the law. A tough nut to crack.
Interesting about Tisch. There may be some slight, very slight, hope for her yet.
The counterexample, natch, is the pink-pussy-hat events at the first Trump inauguration. I was at the event in Chicago. The organizers were very lucky that the January day was unseasonably warm — more than 60 degrees F. Yet they led a blabathon, with every possible aggrieved group sending a female spokesperson to drone on and on. Then, nonplussed that the event had attracted some 250 thousand, organizers said to “demonstrate in place.” Talk about avocado-toast activism.
Luckily, a bunch of people realized that at a demonstration we must march. So I joined the march, which left part of the crowd behind. Meanwhile, some friends I was with announced that, for them, it was time for brunch.
Hey those West African vendors are taking away good street vendor jobs from Americans. Plus they are probably all terrorists in disguise.
It’s all in line with the bully boy mentality of our doofus Potus. He always kicks down and then TACOs when it looks like TPTB on his side might object.
The analogy to the civil rights movement is limited in that those Gandhi inspired sit downs and marches were by people who had far more skin in the game than middle class re enactors who can clock out for lunch when the performative point made. Plus that earlier movement eventually had the Federal government (reluctantly) on its side.
In the end it may all be theater on both sides although not of course for those struggling poor people immigrants being shipped off to random places. I’d say those approval polls matter because it’s clearly a propaganda battle that the Trumpies are losing.
“Interesting about Tisch. There may be some slight, very slight, hope for her yet.”
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Indeed. Mamdani has caught a lot of criticism for announcing he plans to retain her as police chief. However, picking that battle before even being inaugurated would – to my mind, at least – have been unwise.
I think her response here indicates a certain amount of pragmatism about building a relationship with Mamdani, which I applaud. Of course things might go completely pear-shaped in the future, but this is an encouraging sign.
Eric Adams is the mayor, not Mamdani.
The NYPD is not cooperating with ICE. Their only obligation is to turn over immigrants who are in jail (not sure if actually convicted or just under arrest). So I can see Tisch being genuinely unhappy about ICE raids leading to protests in which she has to have cops intervene. This has become a turf issue, with ICE undermining order in the city.
Where is the County Sheriff?
Seems to me, during the Mortgage and Foreclosure crisis, local Sheriffs were asserting and exercising some unique jurisdictional powers regarding enforcement of law and protection of citizens.
I recall a few sheriffs making a big to-do that they would support ICE a few months ago.
Never heard any organized counter-ICE solidarity press release from opposing sheriffs.
I do miss a lot of news feed.
The passage of the bill establishing the Department of Homeland Security was an open invitation to the thuggery we now see in the streets and the reaction of citizens … not mere consumers as the lords of neoliberaldom would have us be … to the masked (Are they afraid to show their faces? Is it an intimidation tactic? Yes and yes.) garbed in “tactical gear”, armed to the teeth, gangs that claim to be scooping up .”criminal illegal aliens including murderers, pedophiles, rapists, gang members and terrorists” but collect street vendors and people guilty of breathing while brown and similar heinous offenses, such as the classic “driving while black.” I get it. I really do get it. ICE and Border Patrol and other unidentified persons who present themselves as federal agents while clad in camouflage or jeans and sneakers, but with masks, have been given permission to scoop up anyone who crosses their path because Donnie has this thing about immigrants while at the same time employing as many as possible at his properties, legally we are assured, but in conditions that amount to indentured servitude, i.e. do as you are told or we ship you back to whatever unpleasantness you were happy to escape. At least that is how I see a Visa that ties you to your employer. So I guess ICE and Border Patrol and other unidentifieds should get a pass since they too are victims. Full circle. Victimizer becomes victim. Everyone can relax. One last point taking off from this priceless quote, “It is fashionable among both conservatives and the avocado toast crowd to denigrate militancy, since it threatens property, which they seem as more important than human rights. And in general protest does look ineffective in the near term.” Ah, the fifis of the “avocado toast crowd.” Mustn’t harsh their mellow. But seriously folks. The anti-slavery movement was unsuccessful w]until it wasn’t. The anti-war movement of the ’60s was unsuccessful until it wasn’t. Same for the civil rights movement. It’s chipping away at a mountain. It’s water carving a channel through solid rock. Eventually nothing becomes something.
This all could have been avoided with a reasonable immigration law enforced reasonably. But that was not to be, how else can we get low wage construction workers, people to work in slaughter houses … careful with that filet of beef … gut that chicken thoroughly and do it fast. Want to lose you job? Mess up the bottom line? Cut the income of the “avocado toast crowd?” As the quote above put it, property before human rights. USA. Love it or leave it.
“Earlier this month border czar Tom Homan vowed to increase immigration raids and has said he plans to visit New York City in the coming weeks.”
Wasn’t Homan shown on video taking a $50,000 cash bribe, from an FBI sting operation, prior to his taking the Homeland Security job? Why isn’t he in jail?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdjDf8cs2uw
Is militancy a coherent model for winning the hearts and minds of the average U.S. citizen?
My personal preference is for a model of popular sovereignty as closely linked to everyday citizens as possible. This framework eliminates any reliance on either the Dems or Repubs for anything. I consider both of these parties and all of their embedded institutional structures and personnel as key barriers to any model of citizen sovereignty.
To begin to move in such a direction, it seems important to start with fundamental questions about ourselves:
To what extent is our society separate from government?
Does our society consist of pre-existing communities of differing types–is there such a thing as pre-political groups that could be mobilized and have a political impact (no more bowling alone!)?
Is there something more going on with popular sovereignty other than individual rights or the aggregated opinions of individuals, as argued by Hobbes and Locke?
American self-help in reaction to the (attempted) enforcement of laws viewed as unjust has a long history.
See further examples at “Underground Railroad” and “one if by land, two if by sea.”
Taking into consideration the expansion of ICE, the lowering of standards when it comes to who they hire, the drastically shortened training (47 days) and the violent rhetoric of Noem and Bovino I expect we will see ICE agents opening fire on demonstrators at some point in the near future, killing and wounding quite a few.
Who will be vilified by the Trump apparat as insurrectionists and ANTIFA!!!
Which will be a hard sell, especially if Trump tries to use this as justification for Martial Law.
It’s gonna be lit, as Mr Boxman so elegantly puts it.