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Police Arrest, Forcibly Remove Protesters Who Shut Down Private Prison With ICE Contract

Twitter screenshot @Natalie_Allison

Mike Brest Reporter
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The police have arrested protesters outside of CoreCivic, a private prison in Nashville, Tennessee, that has a contract with ICE on Monday afternoon.

A few dozen protesters shut down multiple entrances to the prison preventing employees from getting into work.

Many interlocked arms inside barrels of concrete to make it harder for law enforcement to forcibly remove them. One individual hung themselves from a giant tripod, making it even more difficult for the police to figure out how to get them down. They ended up using a firetruck-like vehicle to remove them.

Signs read “This Facility Is On Lockdown,” “Profit From Pain Is Inhumane,” and “Abolish CCA,” which is the abbreviation for CoreCivic.

The protesters were planning on staying until CoreCivic was abolished and had prepared to be there for days, according to Natalie Allison, a reporter from the Tennessean.

“We have no intention of leaving. It’s a nonviolent, peaceful resistance,” said Rev. Jeannie Alexander to Allison. Rev. Alexander was later arrested.

A former CoreCivic employee, Ashley Dixon, was there to protest as well. “I quit because I witnessed two people die due to medical neglect,” she said and was subsequently arrested later in the day.

The police ended up making arrests because they were protesting on private property and refused to leave the premises.