San Francisco activists said they will continue protesting against the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement after a confrontation with federal officials turned violent this week.
On Tuesday, an unmarked SUV drove through a small crowd of demonstrators who had gathered outside the immigration courthouse. The protesters were trying to prevent the arrest of a detained immigrant by blocking the entrance to the building, according to video obtained by NBC Bay Area.
The confrontation escalated as federal officials attempted to pull the protesters away from the door. Several refused to move, but a few were forced into the street. A skirmish broke out as at least one demonstrator jumped onto the hood of a vehicle while others were pushed onto the ground.
In a different video posted by NBC Bay Area and shared widely by protest groups, a person dressed in black and wearing a headscarf appears to be dragged away by a black car while clinging to the hood.
The 50501 Movement, which has organized several anti-Trump and anti-immigration enforcement marches across the country, said in a statement that the protester was injured and was "bleeding everywhere."
"'They were brutal to those of us trying to exercise our rights and protect our community,'" the protester said, according to the statement.
50501 added that despite the skirmish, activists will not be intimidated.
"We must do more than just take to the streets; we have to escalate. We must blockade, disrupt, intervene," the statement read. "We must mass mobilize and use our physical presence to stop deportation vans and grind ICE operations to a halt."
In an emailed statement, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said protesters were responsible for the violent attack.
“These protestors have zero respect for the rule of law, as they so casually violate it," the statement read in part. "This type of vile behavior has led to a 700% increase in assaults against ICE officers, and just last week, a coordinated attack at an ICE facility led to an officer being shot. There is no tolerance for violence, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
The skirmish was the latest in a series of confrontations between activists and federal officers across the country. While Los Angeles appears to remain the epicenter of Trump's immigration crackdown, other sanctuary cities like San Francisco, Chicago and New York have also faced detainments and arrests. These actions are caught on video by bystanders, protesters and advocates and are being shared broadly across social media.
In some instances, aggressive enforcement tactics have pitted the Trump administration against liberal strongholds.
"Trump’s ICE is trying to deport people who are following the rules and showing up to courts. This isn’t about protecting public safety. It’s about power, fascism, and oligarchy," San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder said on X.
