Brooklyn Bridge Protest: 14 Arrested After Activists Block Northbound Ramp
Over 80 demonstrators halted traffic on Oct. 28 to demand the NYPD cease cooperation with ICE and secure the release of Oscar Belgal from federal custody.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
More than 80 activists blocked the northbound entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 28. The group, representing Extinction Rebellion New York City, Climate Defiance, Planet Over Profit, and Port of Elizabeth Movement, halted traffic for approximately one hour. Fourteen protesters were arrested after they refused to clear the roadway.
The demonstrators carried two yellow banners with the messages “Stop Shooting Us” and “Stop Shooting Our Neighbors.” Their primary demand was for the NYPD to stop cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. They also called for the release of Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic who is currently in federal custody.
Belgal was shot by an ICE agent on Oct. 8 in Manhattan’s Marble Hill neighborhood. He was sitting in his car with his son in the back seat at the time of the incident. He is currently held in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park. Protesters claim his condition is deteriorating because a bullet remains lodged in his neck.
Nate Smith, an organizer with Climate Defiance, said the group would not stand by while neighbors and children were shot in the streets. He noted that the United States is at the epicenter of a colonial power that harvests resources and displaces people. Smith cited conservative United Nations estimates that 1.2 billion people will be displaced by 2050 due to climate collapse.
U.S. District Judge Hector Gonzalez denied Belgal’s request for release last Friday. He ordered Belgal to remain in ICE custody at the Sunset Park facility, which is New York City’s only long-term ICE detention center. The facility currently houses 200 detained immigrants. Gonzalez stated that Belgal received adequate medical treatment, including medication, wound care, and concussion monitoring.
Gonzalez wrote that medical records showed Belgal’s condition was stable and that he did not need acute surgical care. The judge concluded that Belgal failed to demonstrate that immediate release was necessary. The Legal Aid Society responded by vowing to continue fighting for his release. The organization stated that the ruling raises questions about whether Belgal’s health and dignity are being given proper weight, noting that more than 50 people have died in ICE custody since 2025.
Protester Nicole called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to fire NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. She argued that the mayor needs to impose stronger consequences for the NYPD if they assist ICE and federal agents. Brooklynite Rarri joined the protest after seeing a livestream on Instagram. He lived near the ICE memorial in Brooklyn’s Little Haiti, which is dedicated to Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian college student.
