Law enforcement in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove has arrested about 26 people during a protest outside a hotel where demonstrators believed Gregory Bovino, the commander of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, was staying.
The protest began in the evening outside the SpringHill Suites by Marriott hotel, with several citizens holding signs and making noise with drums, pots and other implements to express their dissatisfaction with ICE's policies regarding law enforcement and the presence of federal agents in the area.
Authorities declared the demonstration an unlawful assembly after some of the protesters, according to police, engaged in violent behavior, threw objects at officers, and caused damage to property. After the order to disperse, those who refused to leave or committed criminal offenses were detained by police.
There is no official confirmation whether Gregory Bovino was actually at the hotel during the protest, but the incident is related to tensions created after the death of Alex Pretti, a man who was shot dead by federal agents a few days ago in Minneapolis, an issue that has sparked strong public reactions and other protests in the city.
