The ongoing anti-customs protests erupted into chaos at Newark’s Delaney Hall on Saturday night, with police firing tear gas and clearing away protesters after tensions included a “tug of war” over a security fence.
Backed by a fleet of at least 25 police cars, officers carrying shields ordered anti-ICE protesters to disperse under threat of arrest.
An ambulance was seen heading towards the facility while police moved to evacuate the building.
“There was a tug of war over the fence,” said Stephanie, 37, a protester from New York. “Then they took out the shields on both sides of the street.”
She continued: “The policemen threw flash bombs.”
“Then I ran away. I started seeing all the armor so I ran. There were two loud explosions. I saw smoke bombs exploding in the air.”
After the struggle over the fence, police were seen moving people away from the facility and into the streets.
“There were more police tonight than there were protesters,” said Dr. Kathleen Farley, who was at the scene.
Here’s the latest on the anti-ICE clashes outside Delaney Hall in Newark
It was not immediately clear whether there were any arrests Saturday in the latest trouble at the controversial immigration detention center, which came after six people were arrested on Friday and nine people were arrested on Thursday.
Raychell Middlebrooks, works at the Essex County Correctional Facility down the block from Delaney Hall and couldn’t get off work when she tried.
She said: “I was trying to leave at ten o’clock and we were told that we had to stay in the building. It was almost a confrontation between the demonstrators and the police.” “The officers started gassing them. They threw five or six tear gas canisters. I came out of the facility, we could smell it, and we had to close the doors.”