Five Arrested During Austin ‘End ICE Terror’ Protest

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin police have identified five individuals arrested during a downtown protest Saturday against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The arrests occurred during the “End Ice Terror” presentation on January 10th. Demonstrators gathered to demand “swift justice” for Renee Good, who was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis earlier this week.

Details of the Arrests

Four individuals were charged with obstructing a highway:

• eden Scheible, 21
• Victoria De Varona, 25
• Vladimir Herrera, 25
• Esau Gutierrez, 33

David Torres, 23, was charged with interference with the duties of a police officer.

As of Monday, none of the five remained in the Travis County Jail.

Use of Force and Police Statement

Police deployed pepper balls,a type of kinetic energy projectile,during the incident. According to a police statement:

“The actions of the protesters escalated throughout the evening as they obstructed the roadways and placed drivers and bystanders in perilous positions. Prior to making any arrests, officers gave numerous dispersal orders and other opportunities for those in attendance to be in compliance.”

The arrests took place around 8 p.m. near the intersection of South Congress Avenue and East Sixth street, where protesters had blocked traffic.The protest began around 6:30 p.m. near the J.J. Pickle Federal building, with demonstrators marching through downtown and repeatedly returning to the federal building.

Governor Abbott’s Response

Gov. Greg Abbott responded to videos of the arrests posted by CBS Austin on X, stating, “Texas is not Minnesota” and asserting that the Texas Department of Public Safety “was not putting up with defiant protesters.”