Aurora Demonstrations Escalate: School Walkout and ICE Protest Lead to Student Arrests, Officer Injury – Video Coverage

In the suburban town of Aurora, Illinois, tensions have flared following a protest that ended with the arrests of three students and an injured officer. On Tuesday night, a group of young activists gathered, demanding the resignation of the local police chief, a day after a student-led demonstration turned confrontational.

The protest, which took place on Monday, saw approximately 1,500 participants from East Aurora High School taking a stand against the ongoing operations of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The demonstration culminated in the arrest of three students, a moment captured on video that has since circulated widely.

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Among those detained was Johnny Alcantar, a 15-year-old freshman. Alcantar recounted his experience to ABC7, expressing his confusion and fear during the arrest. “Both people hop on me, right? And, I couldn’t breathe. So, I was like, real scared,” he described. Following instructions to move onto the sidewalk, Alcantar said he was surprised when officers decided to detain him. “They told me to go on the sidewalk, so I went on the sidewalk, and what’s it called, out of nowhere they’re like, ‘Yo, y’all two, stay right there. We’re going to detain y’all.’ And I told him, ‘For what?’ Right? So, I back up, and he pulls me by my shirt, spins me around, drops me to the ground.”

The incident has sparked a wave of criticism and calls for accountability, with demonstrators insisting that the police chief step down. The community, now grappling with the aftermath of the protest, is deeply divided, as calls for justice and transparency continue to echo throughout Aurora.

“Both people hop on me, right? And, I couldn’t breathe. So, I was like, real scared,” Alcantar said. “They told me to go on the sidewalk, so I went on the sidewalk, and what’s it called, out of nowhere they’re like, ‘Yo, y’all two, stay right there. We’re going to detain y’all.’ And I told him, ‘For what?’ Right? So, I back up, and he pulls me by my shirt, spins me around, drops me to the ground.”

Police claim Alcantar and another boy were doing actions that made for “unsafe conditions,” and resisting officers.

While they were being detained, investigators told ABC7, a third student punched an officer in the head.

All three, seen in a video being led into a police vehicle, are now charged with improper walking in the roadway, obstructing, and resisting a peace officer.The third boy is also facing a charge of aggravated battery to a police officer.

Demonstrators, a day later, gathered outside the Aurora Police Department, briefly redirecting their focus from federal officers to local ones.

“We demand the charges against these students be dropped immediately, and that the police officers involved be investigated and held accountable for excessive use of force against minors,” said demonstrator Natalie Wakileh.

Aurora police told ABC7 that they were aware of the demonstration outside the department, saying they support the community’s right to gather and express their views peacefully, but stopped short of responding to the demonstrators’ demands.