A protest outside the federal courthouse in St. Paul escalated Tuesday afternoon after law enforcement used a chemical irritant to disperse demonstrators protesting federal charges against 15 people accused of anti-ICE actions.
The confrontation unfolded shortly after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota announced criminal charges against 15 individuals who prosecutors allege are connected to two Minneapolis-based antifa groups. Several of the defendants made their initial court appearances at approximately 2 p.m., drawing supporters and activists to the courthouse.
According to one protester, demonstrators had hoped to fill the courtroom in support of those facing charges. After the courtroom reached capacity, a group remained outside the courthouse, where some participants reportedly held the entrance doors open while continuing their demonstration.
The protester said federal security officers instructed the group to close the courthouse doors. When demonstrators allegedly refused to comply, law enforcement deployed what witnesses described as tear gas or another chemical irritant to clear the entrance area.
Video recorded at the scene showed an orange-colored substance near one of the courthouse doors, along with two apparent chemical canisters lying on the ground outside the building. Several protesters were seen reacting to the spray, while others moved away from the entrance.
Throughout the incident, dozens of demonstrators chanted, “Drop the charges, drop them now,” calling for prosecutors to dismiss the federal case against the 15 defendants.
As of Tuesday evening, officials had not publicly identified the specific chemical agent that was used during the incident. The U.S. Marshals Service, which is responsible for security at the federal courthouse, had not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the confrontation or the circumstances that led officers to deploy the chemical irritant.
The incident came amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement protests and federal investigations into alleged anti-ICE activities, with authorities continuing to pursue the case while supporters of the defendants vowed to maintain public demonstrations.
