Unruly anti-ICE protesters shut down NOLA city council meeting — police carry out activist

New Orleans City Council’s Thursday meeting was brought to a standstill by spitting-mad activists protesting the Trump administration’s recent immigration crackdown in the city.

'We’ll be back.'

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed this week the launch of Operation Catahoula Crunch in the Louisiana city, targeting criminal illegal aliens. The immigration enforcement efforts sparked backlash from some in the local community.

During a Thursday New Orleans City Council meeting, residents lined up to demand that council members designate all city-owned properties as “ICE-free zones” and pass an ordinance that prevents cooperation with immigration officials.

Several demonstrators held signs that read, “No collaboration with ICE/DHS.”

The council repeatedly muted the microphone after informing the protesters that their remarks were “not germane” to the agenda items.

Despite this, the activists continued to approach the microphone during public comments to repeat their demands. A couple of protesters refused to sit down and continued to shout and disrupt the meeting.

RELATED: This Southern sanctuary city is next on the list for federal immigration law enforcement

Photo by Adam GRAY / AFP via Getty Images

Council members responded by suspending public comment on the agenda item and calling a recess.

The crowd of protesters then erupted, shouting and screaming at both the council members and the police officers present in the chamber.

Videos captured by FreedomNews.tv showed police officers slowly escorting the protesting crowd out of the building, with many individuals refusing to leave. Several officers were forced to carry out one unruly activist.

After several minutes of scuffling, shouting, cursing, and some protesters defiantly raising middle fingers at officers, the crowd was finally locked out of the premises.

“We’ll be back,” they shouted at the police from the other side of the fence.

RELATED: Man flings Molotov cocktails at federal building while yelling 'anti-ICE' comments, feds say

Photo by Adam GRAY / AFP via Getty Images

According to NOLA.com, 30 protesters were ejected from the council’s chambers.

Toni Jones, an organizer for the event and a member of the New Orleans Alliance against Racial and Political Repression, told Verite News, “We haven’t seen City Council take a stand, and we demand that they declare they will not cooperate with [ICE] in any way.”

On Thursday, DHS highlighted the arrest of a kidnapper and sex offender as a result of Operation Catahoula Crunch. According to the department, he was previously sentenced to 40 years in prison and later released on parole.

“These are SICK people who have lived among us for far too long. THEY WILL GO BACK,” DHS stated.

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