The People’s Defense Front and Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity (SCDS) staged a rally and march on the State College Municipal Building on Monday, April 20, protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its involvement with the State College government. The march began at Old Main, snaking through downtown and cutting off traffic, before making its way to the building, while a city council meeting was in session.

The protest began at 6:30 p.m. in front of Old Main, scaring off several groups of students taking graduation photos. The groups ran through several chants, calling out Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, State College Mayor Ezra Nanes, Evan Myers of the Borough Council, and State College Police Chief Joseph Merrill for their involvement with ICE. The group also called for revolution against these oppressors, saying “One Solution: Revolution.”

Many of the protestors wore masks and sunglasses, hiding their identity. Several wore orange bandanas on their arms or faces. The group was large, with around thirty participants at all times. A few of the protestors seemed to lead the protest, using megaphones to start chants and give speeches about their goals. Others held up two banners, and the rest brandished signs.

The group first marched to the HUB, stopping there to make more speeches and chants. The echo was loud and reverberated throughout campus. Then, they made their way downtown, blocking off College Ave and backing up traffic for several blocks, including two CATA buses. A few angry drivers honked, and one even seemed to argue with a few nearby protestors.

The march covered most of College Ave downtown, from Locust Lane to Fraser Street, then turned up and headed back along Beaver. Many pedestrians watched as it passed, and even one police vehicle was stopped by the protestors, who yelled “shame” as they marched.

Reaching Allen Street, the group turned towards the Municipal Building, where they ended the march. Several protestors taped “decorations” to the doors while others shouted at the officials inside as a city council meeting took place.

The group claimed several of their members had been kidnapped by ICE within the past month, allegedly with the involvement of the State College Police Department (SCPD) and the State College Government. The protest was also in support of the Moshannon Hunger Strike, a strike which began last month at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an ICE prison located around half an hour from Penn State. The Moshannon Hunger Strike is against the conditions of the facility, igniting because of the poor conditions and allegedly rotten food served to the detainees.

The group then moved to the back of the building, continuing the chants and speeches, along with the “decorations.” Many cars (including police cars) were covered with flyers and statements against members of the State College government, while one protestor entered the building and shouted with a megaphone to the officials inside.

The SCPD did not engage with the protestors, instead keeping a safe distance. A police officer waved at a protester from the safety of his vehicle, to which the protester produced a middle finger. The SCDS and People’s Defense Front did not secure a permit for the protest and advertised the event weeks before, so the reason for the SCPD’s avoidance is unclear.

The protest ended at the nearby Sidney Friedman Park, with the leaders of the groups again calling for action and revolution, and calling for more involvement and new members. The group claimed to organize “ICE patrols” in the community, with 60-70 people currently doing so.

The entire march and protest lasted around two hours, disbanding at 8:30 pm. While the government appeared to ignore the event, the group says that its message was heard.