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From free coffee and poster-making to braided hair and marching crowds, Boyle Heights marked Friday’s national “ICE Out” day of action with a mix of protest, culture and community care.
Across Los Angeles, businesses shut their doors as part of a coordinated effort to stand in solidarity with people refusing to work, attend school or shop in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In Boyle Heights, that resistance took many forms.
At Picaresca Barra de Café, the space opened not for regular business hours, but as a gathering place for the community. Inside, neighbors shared free coffee and pastries while making protest posters.
Eztli De Jesus, 19, made a poster in red marker with the phrase, “Chinga La Migra.” She said she hopes to participate in a rally later today.
“For me, it’s very important to surround myself with people that I know care about me, who I want to care for and that uplift me during such hard times,” she said.
Nearby, artist Ernesto Yerena screen-printed posters with an image of La Virgen de Guadalupe surrounded by a collage of ICE agents and top immigration officials. The message read, “¡Líbranos De Todo Mal!” Deliver us from all evil.
A few blocks away, protest was rooted in culture and tradition.
A line stretched along 4th Street as dozens waited to get their hair braided with red, white and pink ribbons — a form of protest against immigration raids while celebrating Indigenous Mexican culture.
More than a hundred people secured a ticket for the “Los Angeles Hair Braiding Against ICE” event, which was held in partnership between “Ponte Your Moños” and Cafe Niña.
Ema Ramos, 22 from South Central, said she went to get her hair braided to make a political statement. “We need to [make it] known that we’re not scared,” Ramos said.
“We’re just here to show pride. We’re not leaving.” “Being young, you get your hair braided all the time. It’s nice to fulfill your inner child and being unapologetic in who you are,” Ramos added.
As the afternoon went on, the neighborhood filled with sound.
DJs rotated at Mariachi Plaza throughout the day, playing cumbias for passersby and the few who gathered to listen. Their biggest moment came when protesters marched into Boyle Heights from LA City Hall.
Crowds moved down Cesar Chavez Avenue, turning on Soto Street and then 1st Street on their way back downtown. They waved U.S., Mexican and Central American flags and carried signs reading “No ICE, No Nazis.”
Norteño music blasted from speakers, drums blared on beat, and teens rode on skateboards through the crowds.
“ICE out of LA! ICE out of everywhere!” people chanted.
A fruit vendor, who declined to share his name due to immigration concerns, quickly peeled mangoes and poured Valentina hot sauce on Mexican snacks.
He’d been staying indoors this week after his Boyle Heights neighborhood saw the most federal immigration activity in a single day since the raids began last summer.
But on Friday, risking it was worth it.
“I’m out here because there are a lot of people. I can sell in an hour what I make in a day,” he said in Spanish. “Nos preocupamos pero tenemos que trabajar. Hay que pagar renta, biles, y eso no espera.” We worry, but we have to work. We need to pay rent, bills, and that doesn’t wait.
