Punk Drummer Catches Riot Charge After Minnesota ICE Protest Arrest

The drummer for a pair of punk bands with Wisconsin and Minnesota roots has been arrested following an incident where a group was allegedly protesting outside a Minnesota hotel where Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were believed to have been staying this week.

According to Maple Grove Police Department, 26 people were arrested for what they described as unlawful assembly and riotous conduct outside a SpringHill Suites hotel on Jan. 26.

Maple Grove is approximately 15 miles northwest of Minneapolis.

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Among those charged was Jack Gribble, drummer for the bands Arms Aloft and The Slow Death.

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Police Say Group Refused To Leave

A press release from the Maple Grove Police Department claimed officers asked the protesters to leave, but some remained on the property.

“The protest was declared an unlawful assembly after property damage and violence occurred, making the activity no longer protected under the First Amendment,” the department said. Specific details about the alleged property damage and violence were not provided.

Gribble, 40, was among 13 people arrested and charged with gross misdemeanor riot. Another 13 people were charged with unlawful assembly.

Why The Minnesota Hotel Turned Into a Protest Site

Maple Grove Police noted that federal agents have been staying at hotels throughout Minnesota. The department did not specifically say ICE and Customs and Border Patrol agents were spending the night at the SpringHill Suites.

Fox News published a story on Jan. 28 saying the protestors believed Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was staying at the hotel. There has yet to be confirmation that Bovino or any agents were staying at the hotel.

Gribble was among those whose mugshot was published by the new outlet.

Drummer’s Mugshot Used to Raise Money

The mugshot from Gribble’s arrest, which was published on several news websites and social media accounts, is now being used as part of a fundraiser.

Anxious and Angry, an online store and screen printer that sells band merch, has started selling The Agitator T-shirt. The shirt, named after the description Fox News used for those arrested during the SpringHill Suites incident, features Gribble’s mugshot with text from a Twitter account that widely shared it earlier this week.

All proceeds from sales of the T-shirt will be donated to the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee.

Anxious and Angry is run by Minneapolis native Ryan Young of the punk band Off With Their Heads. The Slow Death are scheduled to open for the band during an upcoming tour.

Here is a breakdown of other acts set to tour in the coming months.