Anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activists disrupted traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge and another individual is accused of spray-painting graffiti at the 9/11 Memorial in New York City this week.
The Brooklyn Bridge demonstration, which occurred on Wednesday, led to bumper-to-bumper traffic as protesters blocked entrances to the bridge. According to reports, the protesters were heard shouting anti-ICE and anti-police slogans. One demonstrator was heard calling for the release of "Oscar Bergal," an illegal Dominican national who was shot by ICE during an arrest attempt in Manhattan earlier this month. The NYPD confirmed that 14 people were arrested during the bridge blockade, with no reported injuries. The protest caused delays for approximately one hour.
Separately, on Monday, a man identified as Johnathan Tijerina, 31, was arrested for allegedly vandalizing the 9/11 Memorial. Tijerina is accused of spray-painting a message reading "just stop killing kids" across several engraved names at the memorial. He reportedly documented the act in a self-recorded video shared by his organization, "Just Stop Killing Kids." The organization stated that Tijerina was demanding that President Trump and an unspecified "Mamdani" enforce gun control measures, including universal background checks and a national gun registry. A spokesperson for the 9/11 Memorial & Museum stated that security and law enforcement responded quickly, and the affected area was immediately restored. The memorial is described as a sacred place honoring the victims of the 1993 and 2001 terrorist attacks.