Before capturing Woolf, a
group of officers can be seen on camera dragging him to the ground and pressing
their knees into his body. After being detained for seven hours, Woolf, the
pastor of Evanston’s Lake Street Church, was eventually freed.
In an interview with the
co-hosts of “The Weekend: Primetime” on Sunday, Woolf talked about
the “crisis” of Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in places like
Chicago as well as the reasons he and other religious leaders were
demonstrating outside that facility.
“We were there to raise our
voices against what’s happening in that facility, because we know what’s
happening in that facility is pretty much tantamount to torture,”
Woolf said.
“It’s
denial of food, it’s unsanitary conditions, and the people who are detained
there are detained without any spiritual care whatsoever.”
Woolf said that he had
previously demonstrated in front of the Broadview facility, which has been
under fire for its cruel conditions, on Friday.
The pastor stated that he
has tried to talk to police officers
during earlier protests and remind them that they are “moral actors”
with “choices to make.”
“I’ve seen, and sometimes
made, some police officers cry before,”
Woolf recalled.
“When you talk about the
children who are abducted, police officers are human beings. I don’t agree with
some of the tactics used at Broadview. I don’t agree with them protecting ICE
or protecting this facility, but they’re human beings. They’re capable of
conversion and change, and that is really important to note.”
According to Woolf, Trump’s
immigration policies are causing the United States to face an “intense
crisis of morality,” which “demands people of conscience to be able
to say something about it.”
“I think that we absolutely
know what is happening in this country,”
he said.
“We can see it with our eyes. It’s
verifiable. We can’t deny it. And so that demands a response.”
What charges were filed against the 21 protesters including Rev
Michael Woolf?
The 21 protesters arrested at the Broadview ICE installation,
including Reverend Michael Woolf, were charged with inhibition, unruly conduct,
and rambler walking on roadways. These charges stemmed from blocking access to
the corridor of the installation during their peaceful kick and refusing police
orders to disperse. Authorities stated that the protesters were taken into
guardianship after multiple warnings were issued. Despite the apprehensions,
Woolf and others continued to supplicate while detained.
This reflects typical charges filed in civil defiance demurrers
involving blocking of public or defined access areas as a form of
demonstration.
The Department of Homeland Security defended the police conduct,
describing the protesters as rioters attacking police, though this
characterization was disputed by faith leaders at the kick. The event drew
significant attention to ongoing enterprises about the treatment of emigrants
and shelter campaigners by ICE.
