Downtown Las Vegas ICE protest leads to nearly 100 arrests

Ninety-four people were arrested and seven juveniles were issued citations during Wednesday night’s demonstration in downtown Las Vegas, according to a Metropolitan Police Department news release Thursday.

“The protest was declared an unlawful assembly after protesters failed to obey lawful orders,” Metro said in the release. “Violent actions included protesters throwing water bottles and rocks at LVMPD officers. Several roadways were also blocked by protesters.”

Four officers were injured during the protest, Metro said.

The protest started Wednesday evening at the corner of Las Vegas Boulevard South and East Clark Avenue, and was part of a growing number of demonstrations taking place in cities across the country against enforcement actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal tactics being used on illegal immigrants.

Dozens of videos from onlookers at the protest were shared to various social media accounts Wednesday and Thursday.

In one video, a woman was capturing video as a group of Metro officers walked past carrying bags. One of the officers says, “Enjoying the show?” before a man next to the woman says, “Honor your oath, b---h.”

Multiple officers then approached the woman and man and restrained them after one officer said, “You’re going to jail.”

In a different incident, according to Cirque du Soleil performer Jimmy Slonina’s lawyer, Slonina was taken into custody by Metro officers in the Fremont East entertainment district at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Slonina, who performs in the “Mystere” show at Treasure Island, was locked up at the Las Vegas Detention Center for more than 16 hours before being released, said attorney Dayvid Figler.

Slonina’s wife, Robin, said her husband wasn’t a part of any protest group and was not aware of any Metro dispersal order. She said Slonina was simply heading to Slonina ARTSpace Gallery, which the couple owns.

A thin line

Steven Grammas, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, said it was necessary for officers to use tear gas and projectiles because some in the crowd did not leave the area when they were instructed to do so.

Grammas said he reviewed some video footage from around the time that officers started to use tear gas.

“Some people were walking, but then stopping or seeing how far they could go and then stopping in the street,” Grammas said. “Eventually, we’re going to get to the point where we have to move people with a little bit more intention, so the decision gets made to shoot the tear gas. The hope is that people will flee from the tear gas.”

On the situation where Slonina was detained, Grammas said he didn’t know all the details but found it unlikely that someone “just passing through” would be arrested.

“We take great care in focusing on the people we want to get,” Grammas said. “It’s not just grab whoever you want. I highly doubt that someone just passing through and got singled out and got arrested. I could be wrong, but I highly doubt it.”

According to first-hand accounts, Metro officers began using tear gas on portions of the assembled crowd at about 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday in the 500 block of Las Vegas Boulevard. Some ran screaming while others slowly began to retreat from the area.

Metro said in the news release that about 800 people were in the area at the time. Metro said dispersal orders were given in English and in Spanish, though some “refused to comply.” Police also said property in the area was “vandalized” and that “several buildings were found to be spray painted.”

A Review-Journal journalist reported seeing a water bottle be thrown from someone in the large crowd before tear gas was used by officers.

Questions about arrests

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada, told the Review-Journal that he knew of some protesters who were still detained as of late Thursday afternoon.

“Some folks weren’t even charged until midday (Thursday),” Haseebullah said. “There were individuals arrested who weren’t even part of the protest at all. They were just in the area.”

Haseebullah said he looks forward to viewing body camera footage from officers at the scene.

Among those who were tear-gassed and shot with projectiles were several Las Vegas journalists, including some from the Review-Journal and the Las Vegas Sun.

In a message posted to the social media platform X on Thursday, Sen. Fabian Donate, a Democratic state senator who represents District 10, said, “Our journalists are vital to our democracy — they risk their safety to inform the public. (Metro) must ensure the can do their jobs without fear of violence of harm.”

Also in a post to X on Thursday, Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley said she supports “everyone’s right to protest and peacefully assemble” but noted that “demonstrators cross the line when they hurt others, damage property or take over our roadways.”

According to Metro, four officers were injured during the protest and the aftermath, though the injuries weren’t described in the news release.

Looking ahead to Saturday

Haseebullah said he expects a planned “No Kings” protest set for Saturday in downtown Las Vegas to attract an even bigger crowd than the one seen on Wednesday.

“We’ll have a larger observation presence there,” Haseebullah said. “We want people to plan to be safe. If you’re in Las Vegas and protesting, we tell people to make sure to stay on the sidewalk. One of the quickest ways for people to be ticketed or detained is because they stepped onto the street.”

Ahead of Saturday’s planned protest, Metro said in the news release that it asks “those who choose to exercise their First Amendment rights to do peacefully and lawfully.”

Grammas’ message for anyone who plans to attend a protest this weekend was simple.

“If you’re coming to peacefully protest, observe the laws,” Grammas said. “LVMPD is going to give you the ability to peacefully protest. If you see bad actors trying to agitate cops or the crowd, point them out immediately and let police know. To those who want to come out and commit crimes, they should be ready to be snatched up, put in handcuffs and taken to jail.”

Haseebullah said he thought the number of arrests seemed a bit high for a protest that appeared to be mostly peaceful.

“It did seem high, but when you’re grabbing people who weren’t even at the protest and arresting them while saying they didn’t disperse, that number might seem higher,” Haseebullah said. “From people I’ve talked to, audible instructions might have been unclear or might not have been heard. We’ve received reports of police antagonizing protesters, too, so we’re looking into that.”

As part of a national effort to push back against perceived troubling tactics by the federal government and President Trump’s administration, Saturday’s protest is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at the Federal Courthouse on South Las Vegas Boulevard, according to multiple postings.

Contact Bryan Horwath at bhorwath@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BryanHorwath on X. The Associated Press contributed to this report.