‘F*ck Donald Trump!’ Protestors Rage Against Trump’s Latest Immigration Crackdown in Charlotte
Protesters took to the streets of Charlotte, NC, Saturday as the Trump administration began its immigration crackdown in that democratically-led city.
Carrying signs and waving American flags, hundreds of protesters chanted, “F*ck Donald Trump!” as they marched through the streets.
“We are surging DHS law enforcement to Charlotte to ensure Americans are safe and public safety threats are removed,” Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed to CNN.
CNN’s Gloria Pazmino reported on the violent arrest of a man who turned out to be an American citizen.
“We got several reports from across different areas of the community that federal officials were spotted detaining people,” Pamino said. She continued:
And my colleagues and I have been trying to track down people who were stopped, collecting video from some of those interactions. My colleague Taylor Galgano actually was able to get in touch with the person who was apprehended…This is video from the inside of a vehicle taken by Willie Medina. He is sitting inside his vehicle and he’s been approached by the officers that you see on screen there…
He told them he wasn’t getting out of the car, said, “I’ve already identified myself.” And that’s when they proceeded to break in the window. They pushed him out of the car. They took him into custody and drove him away, along with several other men that had been detained, is what he told us. Now as he was sitting in this vehicle, he was trying to plead with the officers, telling them that he was a U.S. Citizen and that his papers were in his back pocket. Finally, an officer decided to go into his wallet, pull out his documents, and once he confirmed that he was indeed a U.S. Citizen, they took his handcuffs off and let him out of the vehicle.
The city of Charlotte issued a joint statement from Mecklenburg County elected officials condemning the raids and advising citizens of their rights. Back in September, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) discouraged the Trump administration from targeting Charlotte after a woman was brutally stabbed to death on a Charlotte train. Tillis said at the time that if Trump did send troops into Charlotte, “it’ll be a problem for me.”
