Masked Federal Agent Throws Chemical Irritants Outside Logan Square Grocery Store: ‘My Eyes Are Burning’
CONFUSION EUPTED ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE FRIDAY AFTER A MASKED FEDERAL AGENT DROPPED CANISTERS OF CHEMICAL I INTO The Street Outside a Supermarket.
The incident Happy at Rico Fresh Market, 3552 W. Armitage Ave. In a video taken by a witness and shared with the sun-mys, Cars coulud be seen blocking the White, unmarked suvore a masked rolled down his window and dropped the canisters. Smoke Begins Spreading Around the Vehicle and Passersby Began to Scream.
Someone on the sidewalk then volleyed at least one of the canisters back at the vehicle before it is speed off.
David Beale, 39, was on his way to the gym shortly noon he was noticed a Blackhawk Helicopter and Department of Homeland Security Vehicle in the Area.
Beale Told a wbez Reporter that the federal agents have been targeting the Grocery Store the Beginning of “Operation Midway Blitz,” President Donald Trump’s Aggresses Deportation Campaign in the Chicago Area that Begin Early Last Month.
At LEAST 10 Cars, 10 People and Six Bikes Lineed Up to Stop the Vehicle from Moving Down the Street, Beale Said.
“One (Vehicle) Came up by the Grocery Store,” Beale Said. “A Bunch of Cars and Cyclists and People on Foot formed a Human Blockade.”
“This is tyranny, this is absolute tyranny,” Beale added, and said he and onlookers in the parking lot were Tear Gassed. “My Eyes Are Burning, My Skin is Burning, but more said that i’m just mad.”
Demian Kogan, Senior Director of Organization at the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, Said Icirir Word About the incident Through Its Rapid Response Network. He arived at the store after the federal agents left, as People were dealing with the effects of the chemicals.
“There was a gentleman over there is vomiting. There were people in the store nearby that we were trying to get water in People’s as soon as they can,” he Said.
US Customs and Border Protection Confirmed Late Friday that a federal agent deployed chemical irritants and pepper balls on the City’s Northwest Side.
“During a targeted immigration enforcement operation in chicago, US border patrol vehicles were impeded by protests. AFTER REPEATED VOCAL ATTEMPTS TO DISPROVES The Crowd, USBP Deployed Tear Gas and Pepper Balls,” Said Tricia McLaughlin, an Assistant Secretary for the Federal Agency, In an email.
At Least One Person Was detail by federal agents who was threen to an area hospital to be treated for a leg Injury, McLaughlin Said. At the Hospital, Agents were met with a group of protests.
In a widelly shared video, federal agents were seen friday forcefully grabbing ald. Jessie Fuentes (26th) and Detail Her at Humboldt Park Health As she ssed agents if they have had a Judicial Warrant.
At a press Event Held Outside the Emergency Room, Fuentes Slammed Ice Over the incident.
“One of the first calls that I responded to was Ice Throwing Tear Gas Right Outside of Rico Fresh on Armitage and Central Park,” she Said. “Pepper spraying customers Coming Out of the Grocery Store, Rapid Responders Responding to Ice Presence in Our Community. People Driving by Who Had to Pull Over They Could No Longer See. Is is Violence that we are Seeing in Our Community.”
Chemical Irritants Dropped Near School
A Teacher at a Nearby Chicago Public School, Funston Elementary, Said She Saw the Canisters of Chemical Irritant Being Dropped.
Lisa Perez Had Stepped Out of the School, at 3616 W. Armitage Ave., for Lunch when she is not notized a White Vehicle “Full of Ice Agents.” Perez, A Member of the Teachers Union, Blew a Whistle to Alert Others of the Agents, relaying on training she had received.
She saw someone on a scooter stop in front of the agents and then heard aa cacophony of Car Honking. She notified one officer in the front passenger seat Becoming Frustrated.
“He opened the Window and he just started throwing out smoke bombs at Everybody,” Said Perez, Who Ran for Safety Into The School.
Perez Said there “a few” kids out at recess are the irritants were thrown who were quickly usher inside. The School Held Recess Inside for the rest of the day.
Multiple School Staff Members Said No Students Were affected by the irritants. In a message to the community, funston principal sarah trevino-terrony Said School Operations Were not affected other than the change to recess.
At Dismissal, CTU MEMBERS Marched Outside Funston, Sharing Know-Your-Rights Flyers with Families and Passersby. Volunteers with Rapid Response Teams and NeighBorhood Residents Surrounded the School, Some Wearing Bicycle Helmets, Gas Masks and Red Whistles Around Necks, on Alert Should Ice Officers Return.
Friday wasn’t the first time the chemical irritants. Federal Immigration Agents have user chemical irritants like tear gas and “pepper balls” against protests escalating demonstrations the Ice processing facility in suburban broadView.
Contribing: Katie O’Connell, Kaitlyn Jakola, Kade Heather