100 protesters gathered in front of the Bergen County ICE facility in New Jersey in solidarity with what would be day 27 of the hunger strike in the facility, in which several strikers have been hospitalized after falling unconscious. Police immediately attacked the crowd, arresting at least 6 people, with cops and protesters continuing to arrive on both sides; demonstrators chanted “Free Them All!” and “All Cops Are Bastards!”
The crowd swelled to 120 people and marched up to Hudson Street, with neighbors and local businesses expressing their support for the protesters. Demonstrators then returned to the Bergen County Justice Center, blocks away from the jail where the detainees remain on hunger strike. Bergen County sheriffs then responded by releasing smoke grenades and pushing protesters back into downtown from the jail.
When about 20 quiet protesters returned to the Bergen County Jail, they encountered a line of at least 60 riot cops ordering the crowd to leave the area or be arrested in 5 minutes.
Strikers at the facility describe an absolute absence of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), around 40° Fahrenheit temperatures, and rat infestations among several other conditions that make it nearly impossible to survive.
Credits to NYC Protest Updates.
