We’ve seen it time and time again: when the police have no regard for rights, the streets erupt into pure anarchy. The same is true of what unfolded at the San Francisco, California ICE protest on August 20th. TikTok influencer and original content creator @microplasticcat recorded only forty seconds of the mayhem unfolding around them, but the footage was disturbing enough to capture the attention of over 24,000 at home.
Microplastic CAT captioned the clip with more details: “This was the scene outside the [SF] immigration court after an immigrant who was LEGALLY SEEKING ASYLUM was arrested by ICE while attending their court hearing.”
The video – taken on Montgomery Street, outside a San Francisco courthouse – shows several California ICE agents engaged in a rough tug-of-war with some street civilians. The incident looks to be over a bicycle. One agent in particular displays extreme aggression, repeatedly smashing his black baton down against one person’s hands.
We hear CAT exclaiming, “What the **ck are you doing, bro? What the **ck are you doing?”
A California officer attempts to control the ICE agent’s blind rage. Sadly, the agent shows zero regard for anything but violence. He smacks a megaphone out of someone’s hand, then hits and shoves at several other seemingly unarmed bystanders. The crowds continue chanting and moving down the street, determined to remain unsilenced over the injustice.
San Francisco Mayor Tagged In California Footage
Comments on the post were full of outrage and alarm.
“Somebody tell me how is this NOT civil war?????” one viewer wrote. Another said, “That cop is way too emotional to have that job.”
A third viewer asked, “[W]here is the new mayor and why is the police helping [ICE]?”
Microplastic CAT responded with, “Great effing question,” then tagged the San Francisco, California mayor, Daniel Lurie. He was asked directly, “[W]here tf are you at?”
Let’s hope we all get a response.