LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) — Louisville Metro Police showed up Thursday morning, July 19, to move tents and set up barricades at the Occupy ICE protest in downtown, at 7th and Broadway in front of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement building.
It comes after demonstrators had been warned, on several occasions, to get in compliance with city regulations or else.
Occupy ICE protesters are packing up and heading home, at least for now. This comes after a weeks-long argument from city and police requiring a 4-foot buffer on the sidewalk for pedestrians. Parking spots were also asked to be left alone.
"We came at 6, we told them they had 15 minutes to clear it themselves if they wanted to move the things that were in that buffer zone. No one moved to move anything. So, since the 15 minutes expired, our officers went in and removed everything not in compliance," Jessie Halladay, with LMPD, said.
Few protesters went quietly.
"That don't even make any sense,” one protester said. “You don't need this many officers down here to take down tents."
Protesters who weren't there when police began the process of compliance were told to stay behind the police tape that roped off a block of 7th Street, between Broadway and Magazine.
"It's not for our safety at all,” the protester said.
Members of SWAT parked down the street in case things got out of hand.
"We had security measures here, because when you do something like this you need to be prepared for whatever's going to happen,” Halladay said. “So, we brought in an appropriate amount of officers."
Public Works crews were also on site. They were there to clean the sidewalks once the physical barricades went up.
“We've erected bicycle racks to show we'd drawn the line. The line wasn't complied with and now we've put an actual barrier on that line. We've also done the same thing on the other side of the street," Halladay said.
Police say aside from the public safety hazards, there was also a concern for public health. They said a recent survey of the camp revealed issues with how protesters were handling human waste.
In the end, a garbage truck drove away with the trash collected while a trailer was loaded up with any belongings not in compliance.
"Some items not claimed will go to the property room where they can be claimed later," Halladay said.
LMPD Chief Steve Conrad said in a news release on the department’s Facebook page they understand the community members are trying to make their voice heard on ICE enforcement issues but it needs to be done legally.
"We understand and respect what these members of our community are trying to communicate related to the national issues of ICE enforcement, but it must be done legally," he said in the release. "Since the group has not been willing to seek a permit for their event or honor our requests for compliance, the city has no choice but to act."
The protests against ICE had started on July 2 in response to national issues of ICE enforcement.