Anti-ICE 'rapid responders' attack agents with bat, box in federal vehicles near Oregon Walgreens
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were surrounded and attacked on Saturday while conducting targeted enforcement operations in Salem, Oregon, video shows.
Anti-ICE "rapid response" networks mobilized to disrupt operations. Some of them brought weapons and used violence against officers, prompting the deployment of crowd control munitions, including tear gas and pepper balls, according to bystander video.
Individuals belonging to Antifa, a designated terrorist organization, also appeared to be present. Agitators used their vehicles to box in federal vehicles, resulting in ICE officers ramming their vehicles to escape to safety.
The incident that lasted for roughly 30 minutes unfolded around 9:30 am near a Walgreens on Lancaster Drive NE in Salem. Jose A Garibay Esquivel, a "rapid resonder" who was been following ICE officers, captured the tense scene on Facebook livestream.
Agitators, some of whom were concealing their identities behind facial coverings and equipped with riot gear, surrounded numerous ICE vehicles in the parking lot, using both their bodies and their own personal vehicles. The group appeared to be interfering with an enforcement operation.
As ICE officers attempted to move their vehicles, agitators followed and continued to surround them. At least one demonstrator holding a metal bat threatened officers. He then used the bat to attack a vehicle as ICE attempted to make an escape, according to video.
Several canisters of teargas were deployed at the scene. Demonstrators defied multiple law enforcement demands to leave the area. Rapid responders refused to move their vehicles out of the way and continued boxing in ICE officers. This resulted in officers ramming their vehicles so they could flee to safety.
This comes as ICE increased enforcement operations in the sanctuary city, which began on Monday, marking the first notable increase in ICE activity since this time last year.
ICE officers were also surrounded and attacked on Friday while conducting operations in the same area. An agitator jumped on an ICE vehicle, grabbed an agent's neck, and threw a punch. He was not immediately taken into custody.
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