KANSAS CITY – Demonstrations over immigration raids and Pres. Donald Trump's deployment of US military personnel have spread beyond Los Angeles to multiple US cities.
Hundreds of people marched through downtown Kansas City Tuesday night, calling for an end to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and showing support for the demonstrations in Los Angeles.
The rally began near Southwest Boulevard and Avenida Cesar E. Chavez before shifting to the Liberty Memorial.
Organizers said the protest aimed to spotlight constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and due process, and to oppose ICE’s enforcement tactics.
Two groups, one starting near the original rally point and another at Liberty Memorial, merged and marched together, blocking streets and chanting through downtown Kansas City for more than an hour.
"I love seeing KCMO getting together and being united on something that means so much to so many people," said Holly, who protested. "It's not 'you versus me,' it's all of us fighting together."
Tensions briefly flared near Crown Center when a person shouted at demonstrators, leading to a scuffle and someone setting off a firework.
The crowd dispersed, and no serious injuries were reported.
There had been no arrests, according to Kansas City police.
Tuesday’s demonstration followed days of unrest and anti-ICE protests in cities including Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco.
In Los Angeles, about 700 Marines and additional 2,000 National Guard troops were authorized by the Trump administration following some damage property in the city.
The Mayor of Los Angeles imposed an overnight curfew on the city Tuesday night.
Over 100,000 arrests have been made by ICE since the start President Donald Trump's second term, according to multiple reports.
There have been no reports of damage yet in Kansas City.
Some of the protestors blocked traffic for several minutes at Pershing and Main near Union Station.