By Shay Lelonek / News Director

ST. CLOUD, Minn. — On Monday, Jan. 12, protestors gathered against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the parking lot near Star Market Inc. Halal in St. Cloud.

Around noon, St. Cloud Police Department officers were called to the parking lot on reports of vehicle’s blocking traffic.

Upon arrival, officers learned there was a large number of ICE agents conducting an operation. SCPD had no notice in advance of the operation or why it occurred, according to a media release from SCPD.

SCPD Officers started conducting crowd control due to the vehicles blocking traffic, but then continued as a large group of protesters gathered in the parking lot.

SCPD wrote in the media release, “Officers remained on scene to ensure that the public could safely express their 1st Amendment rights while Immigration concluded their business and left the area.”

Sen. Aric Putnam (DFL-St. Cloud) was there as well. In a video shared by the Star Tribune, Putnam is seen talking with protesters and urging them to stay back.

Putnam wrote in a media release to KVSC that he was there to urge people to stay calm and avoid escalation. “I was not protesting, agitating, or encouraging confrontation,” he wrote.