Rallies sparked by fatal shootings turned into street clashes in Los Angeles
A coordinated national “National Shutdown” protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) broke out on Friday—with huge crowds packing downtown Minneapolis streets and leading to fierce clashes in downtown Los Angeles.
Organizers urged Americans to skip work, school, and shopping as part of a mass strike aimed at stopping what they term “ICE terror” and pushing the federal government to halt immigration raids.
The demonstrations were stoked by rising anger over the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—by federal agents during recent enforcement actions in Minneapolis.
In Los Angeles, a peaceful rally quickly turned into one of the day’s most severe clashes. Thousands of protesters marched through downtown streets, many holding “ICE Out of Everywhere” signs and shouting against federal immigration raids.
Police and federal agents used crowd control measures—such as tear gas, flash-bang devices, and baton charges—after protesters tried to break through police lines and face officers outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.
Videos widely shared on social media captured chaotic scenes: police pushing back against oncoming crowds, protesters throwing items, and several arrests as tensions flared into the afternoon.
In the San Francisco Bay Area, big crowds also joined the national demonstrations, while dozens of businesses—from independent bookshops to eateries—closed their doors in solidarity.
In Minneapolis, aerial footage showed huge crowds flooding downtown’s core, where protesters gathered outside the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building—a flashpoint site since the contentious enforcement actions started. Thousands marched through crowded streets despite cold temperatures.
Crowds spanned several blocks, with families, teachers, students, and immigrant rights activists chanting and waving banners condemning ICE’s presence in the city. Many held signs calling for accountability for the deaths of Good and Pretti, both fatally shot by federal immigration agents in separate incidents this month.
NOW: Large anti-ICE march underway in Minneapolis, Minnesota as part of ‘nationwide strike’
— Rapid Report (@RapidReport2025)
Protests weren’t confined to Los Angeles and Minneapolis; demonstrations, walkouts, and rallies occurred in dozens of cities including New York, Chicago, and San Diego.
Businesses—especially small local ones—joined the strike by closing or adjusting their operations, while teachers and students nationwide left classrooms and workplaces to take part in the movement. Organizers promised the National Shutdown would carry on through the weekend with additional marches, strikes, and solidarity actions.
The protests grew more intense this week after top U.S. House Democrats threatened impeachment proceedings against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem unless President Donald Trump fires her.
Trump defended Noem in a Truth Social post on Friday night, stating that “Radical Left Lunatics, Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Thugs, are targeting Kristi Noem… because she is a woman, and has done a really GREAT JOB!”