Protesters Calling For Closure Of U.S. Border Camps Arrested At Philadelphia Fourth Of July Parade
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) – Police say 33 people protesting the treatment of migrants and asylum seekers were cited after briefly interrupting a Fourth of July parade in Philadelphia on Thursday morning. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Philadelphia demanding the closure of detention camps at the United States-Mexico border.
The Never Again Action, a Jewish-led group, organized the protest that began at 10 a.m.
PHOTOS: 33 Arrested At Immigration Protest At Philadelphia's Fourth Of July Parade
They marched from ICE Philadelphia to the Fourth of July parade at Independence Hall.
Images from the scene show officers preventing protesters from traveling further onto the lawn of the Independence Visitor Center.
"We've reached the Philadelphia 4th of July parade, where we're met with a three-deep line of police blocking our progress. We're here to say that we cannot ignore reality and pretend like we're all free in America when we know that's not true," Never Again Action said in a tweet.
The protesters are calling for elected officials to permanently close detention camps at the border and provide permanent protection for all undocumented immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers.
A live stream of the protest was posted on Never Again Action's Facebook page.
Police said some members of the group briefly interrupted the Salute to America parade. There were no injuries or property damage, according to police.
(©Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
