ICE operations have been a contentious topic as their intensity has grown lately, and a protest against the agency in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, recently ended in violence. During what had otherwise been a peaceful student demonstration, the local police chief allegedly assaulted two teenagers, who were later arrested.
In a video recorded by a passerby, Quakertown Police Chief Scott McElree is seen at the anti-ICE protest dressed in plain clothes. The footage captures him placing a teenage girl in a chokehold, prompting several students to step in and intervene. The situation escalates into a confrontation, and later scenes show teenagers being arrested and taken to the local police station.
The protest’s fallout sparked outrage in the community. According to PhillyBurbs, civil rights organizations and parents are calling for an investigation of the case. “Our daughter was wrongfully accused. (…) She was thrown to the ground, and she was choked,” a parent told the local media outlet.
In its official statement, the police said the protesters became “disruptive and dangerous.” However, videos shared online appear to show that the students were peaceful until the officers arrived and used force against them.
Social Media Users Criticize Quakertown’s Police
The social media reaction to the event was fairly negative, with many people criticizing the police’s brutality and lack of accountability when harming teens. One person described the police’s actions as “a grown man was triggered by other citizens’ free speech and assaulted children.”
Others have focused on why the police attacked an otherwise peaceful protest: “I don’t understand why people have such a problem with high school kids protesting.” This kind of questioning led others to argue about how powerful youth protests can be, with a person saying that “I live in a deep red state and the high school kids in my city staged walkouts a couple of weeks back. It was amazing.”
It remains to be seen how the case will end and whether any police officer will be held accountable for what happened. This sparked some doubts among viewers, though: “They can lay their hands on children in public too now and get away with it. You think these guys aren’t doing worse behind closed doors?”
