In brief
Mass protests took place outside a U.S. Coast Guard base in Alameda, California, as approximately 150 demonstrators opposed the deployment of U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents aiming to track down undocumented immigrants. The protest involved police employing flash-bang grenades to clear away some protesters as federal vehicles entered the base. Local leaders condemned the actions as potential provocations for violence, highlighting increased tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the Bay Area.
ALAMEDA, Calif. (AP) — Protesters gathered Thursday outside a U.S. Coast Guard base in the San Francisco Bay Area, where U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents began arriving to support federal efforts to track down immigrants in the country illegally.
About 150 people, many carrying signs saying “No ICE or troops in the Bay,” referring to U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement, gathered shortly after dawn outside the base in Alameda. Police used at least one flash-bang grenade to clear a handful of demonstrators from the entrance as CBP vehicles drove through.
According to reports, more than 100 CBP and other federal agents were expected in the area this week. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie and California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the deployment, suggesting it may be a strategic provocation for unrest.
CBP representatives did not comment immediately but referred to their operation as part of a broader government initiative to deter illegal immigration and other threats before reaching the country's borders.
Local reactions remain heated, with activists vowing to continue their protests against what they consider aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
