New York City police arrested 14 people Wednesday after anti-ICE demonstrators blocked entrances to the Brooklyn Bridge, snarling traffic for roughly an hour. In a separate incident earlier in the week, a man was arrested and charged for spray-painting over victims’ names at the 9/11 Memorial.
The bridge protest began around 12:30 p.m. and drew frustrated commuters stuck in bumper-to-bumper gridlock. Video from the scene shows drivers pleading with the demonstrators to let them through, with one saying, “I just want to get to work!”
Protesters chanted on megaphones, “NYPD, K-K-K, I-C-E, THEY’RE ALL THE SAME!” Others shouted “Free Oscar Bergal!” — a reference to a Dominican national who was shot during an ICE arrest attempt in Marble Hill, Manhattan, earlier this month. A federal judge has since blocked that man’s deportation.
Police moved in and cleared the demonstrators by 1:30 p.m. The NYPD confirmed to Fox News Digital that 14 people were arrested and that no injuries were reported. Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment.
9/11 Memorial Vandalized Days Earlier
Port Authority Police confirmed that Johnathan Tijerina, 31, was arrested after allegedly vandalizing the 9/11 Memorial. On Monday, the words “just stop killing kids” were spray-painted across several engraved victims’ names.
Tijerina recorded himself spray-painting the memorial, and the video was shared by an organization called “Just Stop Killing Kids.” The group posted a statement afterward:
“On October 26, 2026, Jon Tijerina was arrested for spraying red paint on Freedom Tower in NYC. He is demanding that Trump and Mamdani enforce common-sense, highly popular demands with respect to guns such as Universal Background Checks and a National Gun Registry.”
A spokesperson for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum said the site was quickly restored:
“The 9/11 Memorial is a sacred place of reflection at the heart of a rebuilt World Trade Center that honors the 2,983 victims killed in the September 11, 2001 and February 26, 1993 terrorist attacks. This brief incident was swiftly addressed by security staff and law enforcement, and the impacted area was immediately restored to its commemorative state.”
Both incidents took place in New York City this week. City leaders have not publicly addressed either one.
