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Federal Agents Use Chemical Irritants to Clear Protest at Minneapolis Hotel Near U of M

State officials say an unannounced federal intervention upended a local police plan during ongoing immigration enforcement tensions in the Twin Cities.

Overview

  • Protesters gathered outside the Home2 Suites on University Avenue believing ICE personnel were staying there, though it remained unclear if agents were lodged at the hotel.
  • Minnesota State Patrol and Department of Natural Resources officers had been assisting Minneapolis police, and the agencies left after federal agents dispersed the crowd.
  • The Minnesota Department of Public Safety said federal agents arrived without prior communication and cleared the area by deploying chemical irritants.
  • Reporters documented vandalism to the hotel, including smashed windows and graffiti, and police took several people into custody.
  • Video showed confrontations between federal personnel and demonstrators, including an agent shoving a woman who was recording, as armored vehicles and reported tear gas and flash-bang devices were used to facilitate evacuations.