About a dozen armed “Boogaloo” as well as two anti-fascist activists gathered Saturday afternoon to hold an anti-ICE “Open the Cages” demonstration outside the Atlanta Immigration Court.

Police stood by, and no arrests or violence occurred.

The group particularly focused on forced hysterectomies of migrant women in ICE custody.

“When I say ‘fuck’ you say ICE! Fuck! ICE!” a speaker led the crowd with chants. “When I say ‘open’ you say cages! Open! Cages!”

Boogaloos chanted against ICE before being taught a new chant by an anti-fascist in attendance: “When immigrant rights are under attack, rise up fight back!”

One activist called ICE a “xenophobic agency” and demanded “the complete and total abolishment of ICE.”

He referenced Biden’s new ICE guidelines, which he called “virtue signaling.”

“As long as ICE exists, there will be human rights violations.”

“Forced sterilizations is not just a tragedy, it’s an outright abomination to human citizens around the world,” added a boogaloo who goes by the name “Anon.”

Two self-proclaimed antifa activists attended the rally.

“We have more in common than a lot of people know, I mean they’re technically anti-fascist, as it is!” one says, adding that she’s gotten backlash because others believe boogaloos are indeed fascists.

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Early Morning Arrest

One would-be participant was arrested early on Saturday morning ahead of the event. Markus Anthony Suarez, a former Proud Boy who swapped allegiances and joined the boogaloo movement in late 2020, was arrested in Henry County, just south of Atlanta.

As of the time of the rally, Suarez was held on above $60,000 bond.

Update on February 23: Suarez has been released from jail on bond. He clarified via text message with News2Share that the device he had been charged for “intent to commit offense with explosive or destructive device” with had been a “Shutter Bomb” – not Tannerite as originally believed.

Shutter Bombs are commonly available smoke grenades that produce non-irritating colored smoke. They are most commonly sold for the purposes of art projects but are used as a civilian alternative to traditional smoke grenades in street activism.