Minneapolis law enforcement detained roughly 30 protesters Friday night after demonstrations outside two downtown hotels where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were believed to be staying turned disruptive, according to local reports.
Video aired by CBS affiliate WCCO showed demonstrators banging on trash cans and drums, blasting horns, and striking wooden planks against lampposts in what appeared to be an effort to harass or intimidate federal immigration agents. Police ultimately issued citations to the protesters and released them.
The protest began around 8:00 p.m. CST at the Canopy Hotel in downtown Minneapolis before moving to the Depot Renaissance Hotel. According to WCCO, protesters damaged property at the second location. Footage posted on X by independent reporter Brendan Gutenschwager captured a crowd inside the hotel atrium banging on a podium and chanting “no justice, no peace,” separated from the lobby by a glass door while a security alarm appeared to be sounding.
By approximately 9:45 p.m. CST, protesters had returned to the Canopy Hotel and forced entry there as well. At that point, the Minneapolis Police Department declared an unlawful assembly and issued dispersal orders, WCCO reported.
Additional video posted on X showed drone footage of a large crowd outside the Canopy Hotel following officers and appearing to throw objects in their direction as police moved away from the scene. A WCCO reporter noted that the protest continued for roughly three hours before law enforcement intervened.
The demonstrations followed the fatal shooting earlier in the week of Renee Good by an ICE officer during a confrontation that has since drawn national attention. Authorities said Good appeared to drive her vehicle toward the officer during the encounter.
Video footage published Friday by Alpha News showed the officer’s perspective leading up to the shooting. In the video, Good is heard telling the agent, “That’s fine, dude. I’m not mad at you.” Another woman, identified as Good’s wife Rebecca, is heard speaking as the agent films the vehicle’s license plate, saying, “That’s okay. We don’t change our plates every morning, just so you know. It will be the same plate when you come back to us later.”
The footage shows an agent repeatedly instructing Good to exit the vehicle. Good then backed up before accelerating forward. Several shots were fired, and the vehicle crashed into a parked car along the roadside. In the moments before the car surged forward, Good’s wife appeared to attempt to enter the vehicle and could be heard shouting, “Drive, baby drive.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has taken over the investigation into the shooting, removing the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from the case. The BCA said in a Thursday statement that it agreed to step aside “reluctantly.”
City officials weighed in on the unrest Friday, acknowledging tensions surrounding the presence of federal immigration authorities. In a statement, the municipal government said it “recognizes the pain and anger that the presence of federal immigration agents is causing in the city” and reiterated its intent to impede ICE operations.
At the same time, the city urged restraint. “The City is urging community members not to take actions that could be used to justify further federal escalation or militarized response,” the statement said.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a press release Thursday that DHS personnel experienced 275 assaults over the past year, including 66 vehicular attacks, highlighting the dangers federal officers say they face while carrying out enforcement duties.
The Friday night protests underscored the volatile atmosphere in Minneapolis following the shooting, as tensions between demonstrators, local leaders, and federal authorities continue to escalate.
