Car plows through Chicago protest as thousands rally in solidarity with L.A. anti-ICE demonstrations

A driver plowed through a group of protesters Tuesday in the Loop, apparently striking at least one pedestrian, as thousands marched through downtown Chicago protesting the Trump administration’s ongoing immigration raids.

In a scene witnessed by a Sun-Times reporter, the driver was stuck between police vehicles on State Street. Officers sought to guide her away from the crowd and asked her to turn right on Monroe Street, but she instead turned left, heading into the crowd.

One officer tried to get the driver to stop and pulled on the driver’s-side door handle, but the driver sped off.

Shortly after the car plowed through the crowd, it appeared to hit a woman who fell to the ground. Protesters gathered around her to offer help.

A 66-year-old woman suffered a broken left arm and was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she was treated and released, police said.

Police were still searching for the driver and car involved in the incident as of Wednesday morning. The department is investigating the incident as a “hit and run, traffic crash,” records show.

The incident happened as two protests of recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests hit Chicago’s streets Tuesday afternoon before merging into one large protest. It was the latest in a string of demonstrations in support of immigrant communities in the city.

There were some skirmishes between police and protesters as officers — some clutching batons — tried to hold their ground. In one clash near Washington and State, protesters could be heard screaming “no violence” and “let him go” as officers tried to detain a man in a bicycle helmet.

Although several people could be seen being taken into custody, police did not immediately say how many arrests were made.

‘If I don’t speak up for her, who will?’

The protests follow President Donald Trump’s monthslong campaign against immigration, as the government ramps up the number of arrests immigration officers must make each day.

The first demonstration, with a few hundred people, started Tuesday afternoon outside immigration court, 50 E. Adams St., and proceeded toward Federal Plaza, 230 S. Dearborn St., where it converged with a larger group of protesters.

Thousands marched through the Loop, shutting down CTA bus service and creating a standstill on DuSable Lake Shore Drive near Grant Park as protesters crossed the thoroughfare.

Ivanna Vidal was walking out of her downtown workplace when she saw a group of protesters marching down La Salle Street.

She took one look at their signs and decided to join.

“Abolish ICE” and “No human is Illegal” read some of the signs.

“I’m a first-generation citizen, my parents were born in Mexico. It’s something I’m super-passionate about,” said Vidal, 19, of West Lawn.

Vidal said she doesn’t know anyone who has been impacted by the recent raids but wanted to show support to those who have.

“My family is safe, but there are many who aren’t,” she said. “This is impacting our community, and we need to stand up for those who can’t speak up for themselves.”

Lizbeth Rios of Gage Park joined the demonstration to advocate for immigrants in Chicago, including her family. Her mother, who is undocumented, immigrated from Mexico to Chicago more than 30 years ago.

“She doesn’t have status, but I do, and if I don’t speak up for her, who will?” said Rios, 25.

Rios said she was glad to see protests occurring across the country but said she doubted they would lead to policy changes.

“I don’t think there’s much that can be done, but we can only hope,” she said. “I think that unless you’re undocumented, or know someone who is, you’ll never truly understand or feel like us who are out here today.”

Some people arrived with friends, others showed up with their children. A migrant woman with her child wrapped around her back moved through the crowd trying to sell candy.

“I think that everybody deserves a chance,” said Maria Johnson, 23. “I mean, you’re, if you are on TikTok or Instagram or anything, you are getting firsthand perspectives of people getting dragged out of their homes or their workplaces. And it’s upsetting. I just don’t think that’s [the] America I thought I was gonna have to deal with.”

Meanwhile, Mariana Gonzalez and Lizbeth Alvarez were walking downtown when they heard chants nearby. They joined other protesters as they heard calls for an end to the raids.

“I thought the raids would stop, but they’re just getting worse,” said Mariana, 16. “My parents are immigrants from Mexico and they can’t be [out here], but we can.”

Lizbeth, also 16, said, “No matter how small, we’re using our voices, and it sends a message.”

Demonstrations in solidarity with L.A. protests

Organizers of Tuesday’s protests said they also rallied in solidarity with the protests in Los Angeles. Other ICE protests have popped up in New York, San Francisco, Dallas and Austin, Texas.

The largely peaceful demonstrations that started Friday in Los Angeles intensified over the weekend after Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the city without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authorization, with the first wave arriving Sunday.

The extraordinary move spurred anger from protesters and lawmakers. Trump then deployed another 2,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to the city Monday.

“Cities across the country are taking to the streets throughout the week in a national call to action to demobilize ICE and the National Guard from attacking and occupying our communities,” organizers for Tuesday evening’s protest said in a news release.

On Tuesday, Newsom asked a federal court to block the Trump administration from using the National Guard and Marines to assist with immigration raids in Los Angeles, saying it would only heighten tensions. A judge has set a hearing for Thursday.

No Kings protest planned for Saturday

Advocacy organizations like Indivisible Chicago are planning a mass “No Kings Day of Defiance” protest at noon Saturday to protest the ICE arrests and the Trump administration’s policies. According to the group’s website, similar protests are set to kick off in more than 1,000 cities across the country.

The rallies are intended to counter the military parade Trump has planned to mark the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday. In a statement released Sunday during the protests in Los Angeles, organizers said, “President Trump wants you to believe that the people of Los Angeles are destroying their own communities. That’s false. Here’s the truth: people are peacefully and lawfully protesting the Administration’s abuses of power and the abduction of their neighbors by ICE.”

Contributing: Associated Press