A protest against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) turned confrontational Sunday evening in downtown San Francisco, resulting in the arrest of roughly 60 individuals by local police.
The demonstration began around 6 p.m. in front of ICE offices at 630 Sansome Street, drawing several hundred people. Organized in response to a recent spike in immigration-related arrests — including some carried out in San Francisco — the gathering remained mostly peaceful at first. Tensions rose, however, after demonstrators spotted police vans filled with officers in riot gear stationed nearby, as reported by Mission Local.
Chants of “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” echoed through the streets, as protesters waved signs denouncing ICE. One participant shouted at officers, “You guys need to stand up too!”
The situation escalated when a few protesters began throwing objects, including eggs and at least one glass bottle. Though the majority remained nonviolent, police responded by setting up a perimeter and declared the assembly unlawful at 7:33 p.m.
Metal barricades were used by both demonstrators to defend themselves and police to push back the crowd. Officers charged shortly after, and at least one protester was tackled and arrested.
Spear Minteh, 35, told Mission Local he was struck in the chest by an officer during the confrontation. “They just seemed angry,” he said, adding that he hadn’t joined a protest since Occupy Wall Street. “I didn’t expect it to turn violent.”
Over the next two hours, officers pushed the crowd block by block down Sansome Street. By 8:30 p.m., most protesters had dispersed from the ICE building, though smaller groups fanned out into the downtown area. Vandalism was later reported, including broken windows at Chase Bank and Fendi, repports Mission Local.
Around 9 p.m., a significant group of protesters became surrounded by officers on Montgomery Street. Systematic arrests began around 11 p.m., with police zip-tying individuals one by one. The last detainees were loaded into vans shortly after 2 a.m.
According to police, arrests were made in response to what they described as violent acts and offenses ranging from assault to felony-level property damage. A department spokesperson confirmed two officers sustained minor injuries, one of whom was hospitalized, and one firearm was recovered at the scene.
Mayor Daniel Lurie backed law enforcement, stating in a press release that the arrests were the result of “violent and destructive behavior.”
City Supervisor Jackie Fielder, who arrived during the arrests, criticized the overwhelming police presence, noting the deployment of at least a dozen vehicles and scores of officers. In a brief exchange, Commander Derrick Lew told her the protest was “not just First Amendment stuff,” citing the injuries to officers.
A sergeant at the scene reportedly told Fielder that most detainees would be cited and released.
The protest had been organized by groups including NorCal Resist in response to intensified ICE activity. Organizers highlighted the case of a 39-year-old mother of two who, after checking in with her immigration case officer in San Francisco, was swiftly transferred to a detention facility in Arizona — separating her from her husband and young children within 36 hours.
Similar protests had erupted in Los Angeles earlier in the week, particularly in the city of Paramount, home to a large Latino community. Thousands had taken to the streets there to oppose ICE raids.
“They’re kidnapping people off the street without due process,” said protester Kathleen Dobson in San Francisco. “It could happen to any of us. We have to stand up for those who can’t.”
In response to the protests, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles — a move made over the objection of California Governor Gavin Newsom. On social media, Trump stated the purpose was to “liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion” and put an end to what he described as “Migrant riots.”
Source: Mission Local, reporting by Eleni Balakrishnan and Joe Rivano Barros, June 8, 2025.
San Francisco police arrest 60 following anti-ICE protest downtown
