Chaos in Foley Square: Left-Wing Activists Rally Behind Newark Mayor Ras Baraka Following Arrest, Blast Trump and ICE Policies

Edited by: TJVNews.com

Lower Manhattan erupted in protest on Saturday as roughly 100 demonstrators descended on Foley Square to decry the arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka earlier this week at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility. The rowdy crowd, which included far-left activists, socialist elected officials, and anti-ICE agitators, carried signs emblazoned with inflammatory slogans like “ICEstapo must go!” and “No ICE, no DOGE, no state terror,” according to a report in The New York Post.

The protest followed Baraka’s detention and subsequent release at Delaney Hall, an ICE facility in Newark, less than 24 hours earlier. His arrest, the result of what supporters claim was a peaceful protest against federal immigration enforcement, has since galvanized radical elements of New York’s political sphere and prompted a renewed push to shut down ICE detention centers across the region.

Speaking to supporters on Friday night after his release, Baraka remained defiant. “We know we’re right. What we ask for is correct,” he declared, vowing to continue his efforts to shutter the ICE facility that he believes represents a threat to civil liberties and immigrant communities. The New York Post has closely followed Baraka’s outspoken advocacy and the dramatic escalation that led to his detainment.

Saturday’s rally quickly turned from protest to political theater, with Democratic Socialist elected officials taking the stage to deliver scorched-earth rhetoric against President Donald Trump, New York City Mayor Eric Adams, and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, a current Democratic mayoral candidate and avowed progressive, used his speaking time to tie his political opponents to what he called the authoritarian legacy of the Trump administration. “For the Trump Administration, just like Mayor Eric Adams, just like Andrew Cuomo, the law is merely a suggestion,” Mamdani said, in remarks recorded and later reviewed by The New York Post.

He went on to accuse the Trump administration—and, by implication, local Democratic leaders—of systematically undermining the rights of marginalized communities. “At every attempt, we will be there, we will fight them, and we will defeat them,” he vowed, stoking applause and chants from the crowd.

The New York Post report noted that Mamdani’s attempt to lump Adams and Cuomo in with Trump was met with both cheers from progressives and visible discomfort from moderate Democrats on the sidelines.

Also present was New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a frequent critic of federal law enforcement agencies and a staunch advocate for abolishing ICE. Speaking through a blowhorn, Williams blasted the Trump administration, calling it “an embarrassment.”

As The New York Post emphasized in its coverage, Williams’ tone reflected a growing willingness among far-left officials to escalate rhetoric against not only ICE but also against the very concept of immigration enforcement as a federal function. His remarks added to a climate of hostility that spilled into confrontations with counter-protesters.

At least one individual identifying as a supporter of President Trump arrived at the event, only to be hounded and followed by demonstrators. Footage obtained by The New York Post showed activists crowding around the counter-protester, shouting slogans and obstructing their path through the square. While the NYPD maintained a visible presence, no arrests were reported.

Baraka’s arrest and the ensuing protest reflect the continuing polarization surrounding ICE and immigration enforcement. Though President Trump has attempted to recalibrate immigration priorities, progressive activists and city leaders in blue states continue to view ICE as a symbol of systemic oppression.

Baraka, who has built his political brand on social justice activism, has increasingly positioned himself as a national figure in the anti-ICE movement, as The New York Post previously reported.  His arrest now threatens to turn him into a cause célèbre for leftist organizers and a flashpoint in the 2025 election cycle.

“Ras Baraka’s arrest is emblematic of the ideological chasm between federal enforcement priorities and local resistance movements,” one legal analyst told The New York Post. “His defiance could catalyze a wave of similar standoffs around the country.”

Saturday’s protest also highlighted the political stakes of the ongoing battle over immigration enforcement and police reform in New York. With City Hall elections on the horizon, candidates like Mamdani and Williams appear eager to distinguish themselves from centrist Democrats and to capitalize on public outrage among the city’s progressive base.

As The New York Post noted in a follow-up editorial, the willingness of elected officials to defend illegal entry into ICE facilities or interfere with law enforcement functions may set a dangerous precedent. “Whether one supports ICE or not, elected leaders undermining the law only deepens the chaos,” the paper warned.

Still, for many in attendance on Saturday, including those holding signs comparing ICE to Nazi-era fascists, the message was clear: they are prepared to fight federal immigration enforcement by any means necessary.