Violence Erupts Outside Newark Detention Center

On Friday night, alarming footage showed at least two protestors being arrested during a disturbance outside Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey.

The situation escalated as vehicles attempted to exit the migrant detention facility but were obstructed by protestors. Amidst the chaos, one car managed to drive into the crowd, hitting at least one individual.

Video recordings captured protestors yelling phrases like, “Let’s go, you coward,” and “Are you proud of yourself?” while confronting authorities. One federal agent directly questioned a protestor about their aggressive behavior just before making an arrest.

Protestors were seen throwing wooden pallets and mattresses at the federal agents, intensifying the tumult. Meanwhile, ICE officials struggled to push back the crowd and clear the way for vehicles.

Witnesses noted that pepper spray was deployed during this unrest. This sequence of events followed Newark Mayor Ras Baraka’s recent decision to withdraw police presence from outside Delaney Hall, a move he believed would reduce confrontations with protestors.

Baraka stated that the increased presence of ICE had caused tension in the area, asserting that it was not the responsibility of local police to secure private facilities. He emphasized that maintaining peace at Delaney Hall was not a city obligation and noted the inconsistency of continuing police presence outside the facility.

Interestingly, this incident wasn’t Baraka’s first run-in with the law regarding Delaney Hall. Just a year prior, he was arrested alongside other officials during a protest at the same site. At that time, he claimed to be exercising his First Amendment rights, and charges of trespassing were eventually dropped.

Despite his history, Baraka was re-elected recently, garnering over 50% of the votes from Newark residents. The Department of Homeland Security has yet to respond to inquiries regarding this latest episode.