Car speeds through large crowd of anti-ICE protesters blocking downtown streets: VIDEO
ABC7 cameras captured at least five people being taken away in handcuffs, and some officers in riot gear were deployed.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- Thousands of anti-ICE protesters marched through city streets on Tuesday evening after holding a rally downtown.
Chopper 7 was over the demonstration, which caused major traffic disruptions for hours.
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ABC7 cameras captured at least five people being taken away in handcuffs throughout the afternoon and evening, and some officers in riot gear were deployed to the Loop.
And at one point, what was mostly a peaceful demonstration almost turned violent.
Car speeds through crowd
ABC7 cameras were on the scene when a car sped through the crowd of demonstrators at Wabash and Monroe around 6:15 p.m.
An ABC7 crew saw Chicago police officers giving a thumbs-up signal, seemingly indicating that no one was hurt.
A woman appeared to be driving the vehicle, which is burgundy in color.
It is not yet clear if the driver intentionally drove through the crowd or if they were trying to get out of the area. A police source told ABC7 they are still for that suspected driver.
But the incident did not appear to deter any protesters. The growing group continued to move east, ending up in Grant Park by 6:30 p.m.
Protesters block roads, disrupting traffic and CTA service
The crowd of 1,000 people or more started to block parts of DuSable Lake Shore Drive by 6:40 p.m.
The group then started to head northbound, eventually passing by ABC7's State Street studio.
Chicago police guided the protesters through downtown while moving traffic.
The CTA said bus service was temporarily suspended in the Loop, and other buses in the area may experience major delays.
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Officials placed plows on some downtown roads, and Streets and Sanitation trucks moved onto Wacker Drive.
The protesters were seen crossing over the Dearborn Street bridge into the River North neighborhood at 7:15 p.m.
The group walked a few blocks into River North before changing directions again, heading southbound on Clark Street.
Some demonstrators clash with police, Trump supporters
The group became much smaller as protesters gathered near Macy's State Street in the Loop, where some clashed with CPD officers around 8 p.m.
A line of officers blocked the crowd's movement east on Washington Street at State Street.
Suddenly, an ABC7 crew saw a one person, who tried to breach that line, being taken into custody. Two others were also detained.
At one point, someone threw a water bottle at police, and it appeared to hit an officer in the head or face.
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Shortly thereafter, officers wearing helmets and facemasks and carrying batons arrived at that corner.
A standoff ensued, and it was tense couple of minutes. But things then calmed down, and protesters were allowed to proceed north on State Street.
At that point, an ABC7 crew saw people vandalizing a CPD vehicle as well as CTA property, specifically a couple of Red Line vestibules on State Street.
People were seen tagging other Loop windows and buildings with spray paint, as well.
A small group later made its way to Federal Plaza around 9 p.m. That's where a planned rally happened hours earlier at 5:30 p.m.
Supporters of President Donald Trump briefly clashed with the anti-ICE protesters during that earlier rally, but ultimately, it remained peaceful.
Some anti-ICE demonstrators also briefly clashed with officers earlier in the day, during their first march of the afternoon, which preceded the Federal Plaza rally.
Why they're protesting
The protesters say they are speaking out against immigration enforcement seen in parts of the country, including the Chicago area.
Some of the demonstrators are children of immigrants, and some are undocumented people themselves, like one mother of three, who asked ABC7 not to show her face.
Speaking with ABC7 in Spanish while her infant son held tightly to an American flag, J.C. said she is from Ecuador and has only been in the United States for less than a year.
"We're fearful of this whole situation and what's going on in this country, because we're scared that they're going to deport us," she said.
The demonstrators say immigrants across the country are living in fear under the Trump administration's deportation orders.
READ MORE | Broadview protesters demand release of Chicago mother detained by ICE during routine check-in
Just last week, ICE agents arrested multiple people at an immigration facility in the South Loop. ABC7 blurred their faces, since we do not now if they face any charges.
Their families and lawyers say they were taken into custody during a regular check-in.
Organizers also said they are gathering to stand in solidarity with the unrest in Los Angeles, where the National Guard was deployed. Recent anti-ICE protests have turned violent at times in downtown Los Angeles.
"We are not going back. This is an inflection point, a turning point," one protester said.
Chicago-area organizers say they will continue to speak out against what they call unjust immigration enforcement.
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