CHICAGO — A peaceful anti-ICE protest in downtown Chicago turned violent Tuesday evening when a car barreled into the crowd, striking a 66-year-old woman and breaking her arm, according to Chicago police.
The incident happened around 6:20 p.m. in the 0–100 block of East Monroe Street, where hundreds of demonstrators had gathered to protest recent federal immigration crackdowns.
Driver Ignores Orders, Hits Protester
According to police and eyewitnesses, the driver of a red 2003 Kia Spectra was stopped at a light near the crowd when officers directed the vehicle to turn away from the protest zone. Instead, the driver steered the car directly into the crowd, hitting the woman before speeding off.
“There’s maybe like 100 people behind me… here comes this car driving about 30 miles an hour,” said Dr. Howard Ehrman, who was at the scene and described the horrifying moment to the Sun-Times.
The woman was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with a broken arm, police said. Her identity has not been released.
Vehicle Linked to Wisconsin, Driver Still At Large
Authorities traced the red Kia’s license plate to an owner in Wisconsin, but as of Wednesday morning, no arrests had been made and the driver remained at large. The case is being investigated as a hit-and-run.
Footage circulating on social media and from this video shows protestors screaming and scrambling as the car accelerated through the crowd, narrowly avoiding further injuries.
Protest Against Immigration Crackdown Draws Thousands
The demonstration was part of a citywide response to recent immigration enforcement actions by the Trump administration, which included National Guard deployments and workplace raids across the U.S. Thousands of people gathered downtown, chanting and marching through the Loop.
The event, while largely peaceful, became tense as crowds grew and police attempted to manage traffic near the protest’s route.
Organizers say the turnout was one of the largest immigration rallies in Chicago this year, echoing national outrage following the recent arrest of SEIU California President David Huerta, a well-known immigrant rights advocate.
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