Thousands rally against ICE in San Francisco's Dolores Park

Students, workers, and organizers demand removal of Immigration Customs and Enforcement agents from communities nationwide

Jan. 30, 2026 at 9:39pm by Ben Kaplan

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Thousands of protesters, including students, workers, and organizers, gathered in Dolores Park in San Francisco on Friday to demand the removal of Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) agents from communities across the country. The rally was held in solidarity with mass protests in Minnesota, where students and workers launched a statewide shutdown in response to the detainment of U.S. citizens and noncitizens by ICE and the fatal shootings of two individuals by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

Why it matters

The San Francisco rally was part of a broader effort to disrupt daily life in response to escalating federal immigration enforcement. Organizers described the protests as a way to show that people are 'fed up' with the government's actions and that 'enough is enough', highlighting past organizing efforts in the Bay Area to block immigration raids and shut down ICE offices and court buildings.

The details

The rally was organized by the Bay Area chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) and supported by other groups like Refuse Fascism. Thousands of students from high schools, colleges, and middle schools across San Francisco and the greater Bay Area participated, many of them mobilizing independently through social media and group chats. Protesters chanted slogans, waved signs, and disrupted businesses and city life to demand an end to ICE's presence in their communities.

  • The San Francisco rally was held at 1 p.m. on Friday, January 31, 2026.
  • The protests in Minnesota that inspired the San Francisco rally took place the previous week.

The players

Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL)

A socialist political party that organized the San Francisco rally in solidarity with the protests in Minnesota.

Sanika Mahajan

A 26-year-old organizer with the Bay Area chapter of the PSL who spoke at the rally.

Amiko Muscat

A 17-year-old senior at the School of the Arts in San Francisco who helped mobilize students to attend the rally.

Renee Good

An individual who was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis, sparking the protests in Minnesota that inspired the San Francisco rally.

Alex Pretti

An individual who was fatally shot by ICE agents in Minneapolis, sparking the protests in Minnesota that inspired the San Francisco rally.

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What they’re saying

“The courage of the people of Minnesota last week, standing up to ICE and getting in the streets in the hundreds of thousands and shutting down the city in a general strike, we're taking that as the blueprint around the country right now. They're not going to stop with Minneapolis, and neither are we.”

— Sanika Mahajan, Organizer, Bay Area chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation (SFGATE)

“It's going to be the people in power. We need to mobilize millions in the streets day after day, in massive, sustained protest.”

— Sully, Member, Refuse Fascism (SFGATE)

“When you have the privilege to be able to speak up, that's when you need to.”

— Amiko Muscat, Senior, School of the Arts in San Francisco (SFGATE)

“Be safe and be smart, but do come. We need as many people [as possible]. We need to get these fascists out of our f—-ing system.”

— Desmond Cimo, Student, Wallenberg High School (SFGATE)

“This isn't America anymore. Freedom of speech is being squashed. We have to come out.”

— Judy, 70-year-old Bay Area resident (SFGATE)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This rally highlights the growing frustration and determination of students, workers, and organizers in the Bay Area and across the country to resist escalating federal immigration enforcement and demand the removal of ICE from their communities. The protests in San Francisco and Minnesota demonstrate the power of coordinated, sustained action to disrupt daily life and push for change.