Hundreds of protesters flooded the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Monday night in a show of solidarity with demonstrators in Los Angeles, who have been clashing with law enforcement over ICE immigration crackdowns. The Dallas protest, organized through social media, briefly blocked traffic as activists held signs reading "Abolish ICE" and "No Human Is Illegal".
Police declared the gathering an unlawful assembly shortly after 10 p.m., ordering protesters to disperse. Officers deployed pepper spray to clear the crowd, resulting in at least one arrest, though authorities have not disclosed further details.
Some business owners in Downtown Dallas say the protests brought memories of demonstrations that turned into riots over the death of George Floyd in 2020.
"There were a whole bunch of windows smashed up, so there is definitely a concern," says the manager of Chop House Burger near Main and Akard.
He says employees are trained what to do if they see a protest or demonstration start to become violent. They can lock doors quickly and will move customers away from windows.
He also says restaurants in Downtown Dallas compete with each other, but they also work together for safety, so they communicate with each other to spot trends or get the word out when someone suspicious is moving among shops in the area.
At Press Box Grill a couple blocks away, they started keeping wood planks after the George Floyd riots so they can board up windows quickly in case a protest gets out of control.
"We had to lock ourselves in, and we had to find weapons like the chain we use to put around the door," says Lead Bartender Ariel Brewerton. "You never know exactly what's going to happen. It only takes one incident to set off domino effect. People are on edge."
Brewerton says more recent protests over Israel and Gaza have also led to safety concerns for people who both work and live Downtown. She says other issues like homelessness and aggressive panhandlers may also drive people away.
"I'll step out of my building, turn a corner and someone will step out," she says. "You can just feel the anxiety and tension."
Both restaurants say Dallas Police and Downtown Dallas Inc security help keep the area safe, but they say security cannot be everywhere at once especially during a large demonstration. They say
Tensions over federal immigration enforcement have been rising nationwide, with LA protesters facing tear gas, rubber bullets, and National Guard deployment in recent days. Protesters in Dallas condemned the use of force, arguing that ICE's actions are driving fear and instability in immigrant communities.
Texas officials, including Governor Greg Abbott, defended the heightened enforcement, calling protests an attempt to undermine the rule of law. Advocacy groups, however, say the crackdown is unnecessarily harsh and fails to address the underlying issues of immigration reform.
As of Tuesday morning, additional demonstrations were being planned across Texas in response to the escalating unrest.
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