No permit for socialist-organized anti-ICE protest resulting in vandalism, says Raleigh Police
Raleigh Police have confirmed that no permit was issued for an anti-ICE protest last night with approximately 1600-2400 participants, which blocked city streets as it marched from Moore Square to the capitol and back, leaving graffitied state property in its wake.
Organization
The event was promoted as an "emergency protest" in support of the Los Angeles riots titled "From LA to Raleigh: ICE Out!" by organizations such as the Triangle branch of the Democratic Socialists of America, as well as Triangle branch of the Party For Socialism and Liberation and Mi Barrio Durham with an Instagram post which accrued over thirteen thousand likes.
The Party for Socialism and Liberation has been associated with organizing previous demonstrations which have escalated into civil disorder and rioting, including a protest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in DC last July at which a Durham man set fire to a stolen American flag, to which he plead guilty and was sentenced last month to four months probation, 40 hours of community service, and $525 in restitution.
The Protest
The antendees of the protest appear to have been predominantly Hispanic, with the primary message of opposing President Trump and the enforcement of immigration law, which was illustrated by signs such as "Chinga la Migra" and its English translation "F*** ICE," or chants of "F*** Trump" and "no hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here."
As with previous local anti-immigration protests, many of the participants were decorated with the flag of their homelands, primarily Mexico. There did appear to be more American flags than at these previous events, perhaps in response to the backlash regarding the "optics" of marching with exclusively foreign flags on American streets.
The protest did also include some elements representing the "intersectionality" of the left, including at least one Palestine flag, protesters in Keffiyehs, and the accompanying chants of "Free Palestine;" as well as more generic messages of "solidarity," abolishing all borders, or ending wars.
Escalation
The demonstration also included a small cadre of antifa/black bloc style participants, at least one of whom was most likely responsible for graffiti left as the marchers circled the State Capitol block, including "F*** ICE" on the NC Court of Appeals building, "RPD" on the NC Museum of History, and "GAZA" on a traffic sign.
According to one TikTok commenter, the perpetrator was a "yt [white] boy who had a spray can" and that "protestors were trying to stop him."
Despite their lack of permit, the march was escorted by the police, who also blocked off streets from motor vehicle traffic to divert traffic around the demonstration. The march was also accompanied by protest "marshals" in reflective vests as well as the green-hatted "observers" from the left-wing National Lawyers Guild.
After the marchers returned to Moore Square, there were fireworks set off in/near the demonstration, which one participant in the march attributed to two young white men on electric motorbikes attempting to "cause chaos" and "incite violence," in a video posted to TikTok:
Future Events
There is a similar "radical" event scheduled for 7:30 PM tomorrow night in Durham at CCB Plaza, which has a similar or greater risk of escalation, suggested by a flyer encouraging participants to "mask up!" in "solidarity with the LA resistance."
In addition, there are at least ten locations across the Triangle listed for the nationwide "No Kings" protest in the Triangle area. Although these have a similar aim as last night's event, to oppose Trump and immigration enforcement, they present less of a risk of escalation due to the midday timing and the association with somewhat less radical and more mainstream liberal organizations.