Tensions escalated as a group of protesters gathered outside a hotel in St. Paul, attempting to force entry and clashing with security personnel, amid claims that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were staying there.
Videos and eyewitness accounts depict a chaotic scene, with demonstrators throwing snowballs, setting off fireworks, smashing windows, and erecting barricades, while chanting and creating noise disturbances to disrupt the alleged federal presence.
The incident at the hotel, identified in reports as potentially the Home2 Suites or a Hilton property, unfolded late Sunday into Monday, with federal agents eventually arriving on scene and deploying tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Protesters were seen parking vehicles in front of the entrance, honking horns, and slamming objects to amplify the disruption. One video captured a rioter hurling what appeared to be a heavy rock at a federal agent, heightening the anarchy. Guests inside the hotel were reportedly frightened, with some looking out from windows as the confrontation intensified.
Local police response was limited initially, with reports noting only one officer present for about an hour, seemingly negotiating rather than intervening aggressively.
