Feb. 16--Protesters blocked traffic on Congress Parkway at LaSalle Street for more than an hour Tuesday morning to protest immigration policies, resulting in about 12 arrests.
The demonstrators stretched across the inbound lanes of Congress around 8 a.m. holding a banner that read "Dismantle ICE. Defund the police!" ICE refers to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has offices on that block.
Police started making the arrests before 9 a.m.
As officers arrested a demonstrator in a blue and purple coat, children in the crowd chanted. "We love you, we've got your back."
The crowd cheered as the protester was led from the scene.
Other protesters chanted "F--- the police" as they were led to a police van.
Police persuaded a protester on a green ladder to step down. The ladder, which was used to hang the banner, was put in the police van.
Officers crowded around the base of the other ladder as the protester on top of it waved his fist in the air. The crowd shouted "deportation" in Spanish. The protester then stepped down to cheers and police took that ladder away.
A woman with a megaphone shouted, "When I say shut down, you say ICE."
"Shut down!"
"ICE!" the crowd replied.
In all, about 12 people were arrested. The scene was peaceful, with no struggles between protesters and police.
The lanes were reopened to traffic by 9:25 a.m.
