Thousands of demonstrators filled the streets of Minneapolis on Monday, and students across the country also staged protests demanding the withdrawal of immigration agents from the state of Minnesota after the killing of two American citizens there, Reuters reported.
Students and teachers from California to New York walked off classes in a national day of protest that comes amid mixed messages from the administration of President Donald Trump about whether to end his operation against illegal immigration in Minneapolis.
As part of the operation, Trump sent 3,000 federal officers to the Minneapolis area, who patrol the streets in protective gear and outnumber the city's police force five times.
Protesting against methods used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), several thousand people gathered in downtown Minneapolis despite sub-zero temperatures, including families with young children, elderly couples and young activists.
"Democracy in Minnesota is at stake. This is a full-scale fascist attack by our federal government on its citizens," said 65-year-old protester Kim, who declined to give her last name to Reuters.
Rock star Bruce Springsteen joined the protest, taking to the stage with a slogan taped to his guitar: "Arrest the President". He played his latest song, "Streets of Minneapolis", written in response to the tragic deaths of two local residents killed by immigration agents.
Protests were held today in 250 locations across 46 US states, including cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Washington, D.C., organizers said.