Anti-ICE Protesters Block the Brooklyn Bridge for About an Hour, 14 Arrested; Separately, a Man Is Charged Over Paint on the 9/11 Memorial's Names
Fox News reports the NYPD says 14 people were arrested and no one was hurt. Port Authority police say a 31-year-old is charged over the 9/11 Memorial, and Fox says it asked the mayor's office for comment.
Two separate protest incidents in New York City this week are drawing attention to how city leaders respond, Fox News reports.
The bridge. Fox says a group opposed to ICE blocked the entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, backing up traffic while commuters tried to get to work. Video shows drivers pleading with the group for access, and one saying, "I just want to get to work!" Fox says protesters on a megaphone chanted that the NYPD and ICE "are all the same." One person shouted "Free Oscar Bergal," a reference to a Dominican national shot during an ICE arrest attempt in Marble Hill, Manhattan, earlier this month. The delays lasted about an hour, ABC7 reported, and police had removed the group by 1:30. The NYPD told Fox that 14 people were arrested and nobody was hurt.
The memorial. Port Authority Police confirmed to Fox that Johnathan Tijerina, 31, was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the 9/11 Memorial. On Monday, the words "just stop killing kids" were sprayed across several engraved names. Fox says the suspect recorded himself and that his group, "Just Stop Killing Kids," shared the video. A post from the group, as quoted by Fox, says he was arrested for spraying red paint on the Freedom Tower and is demanding that President Trump and Mayor Mamdani enforce universal background checks and a national gun registry.
The response. A spokesperson for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum said security and law enforcement responded quickly, the area was restored, and the memorial honors the 2,983 victims of the 2001 and 1993 attacks. Fox notes that city leaders have stayed quiet on both events and says it asked the mayor's office for comment.
Note for readers: Fox's report uses sharp language for the protesters, such as "radicals" and "agitators," which are the outlet's words, not ours. The piece lists no specific charges for the Brooklyn Bridge arrests and does not say whether the memorial case has gone to court. The accusations are not proven, and Fox reports no reply from the mayor's office.