AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police have identified four people arrested during a downtown protest Saturday against Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The arrests occurred during the “End Ice Terror” demonstration on Jan. 10.
Three individuals were charged with obstructing a highway: Eden Scheible, 21; Victoria De Varona, 25; and Vladimir Herrera, 25.
David Torres, 23, was charged with interference with duties of a police officer.
None of the four remained in the Travis County Jail as of Monday.
Police deployed pepper balls, a type of kinetic energy projectile, during the incident.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Police detain protesters as tensions rise at Austin’s ‘End ICE Terror’ protest
“The actions of the protesters escalated throughout the evening as they obstructed the roadways and placed drivers and bystanders in dangerous positions,” police said in a statement. “Prior to making any arrests, officers gave numerous dispersal orders and other opportunities for those in attendance to be in compliance.”
The arrests occurred around 8 p.m. near the intersection of South Congress Avenue and East Sixth Street, where demonstrators had blocked traffic.
The protest began around 6:30 p.m. near the J.J. Pickle Federal Building at 300 E. Eighth St. Demonstrators marched through downtown streets, repeatedly returning to the federal building.
The demonstration was held to demand what organizers called “swift justice” for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier this week.
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Gov. Greg Abbott responded to CBS Austin’s videos of the arrests on X, saying “Texas is not Minnesota” and stating the Texas Department of Public Safety was “not putting up with defiant protesters.”