LA Restaurant Besieged by Protestors Who Mistook TSA Workers for ICE Agents
A tense and chaotic scene unfolded at a popular Korean BBQ restaurant in Los Angeles County on Wednesday night, as a large mob of anti-ICE protestors surrounded the establishment after mistakenly believing federal immigration agents were dining inside.
Mistaken Identity Sparks Confrontation
According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred at Ten-Raku restaurant in Lynwood. A substantial group of demonstrators gathered outside the venue after receiving reports that federal officers were allegedly present within. In reality, the individuals inside were off-duty Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers simply enjoying a meal after their shifts at the airport.
The protestors, armed with airhorns and whistles, shouted at the airport security workers through the restaurant windows. The intense demonstration required sheriff's deputies to be called to the scene for crowd control. Authorities confirmed that the TSA officers were safely escorted from the premises once the situation was calmed. Fortunately, no injuries or arrests were reported.
Organiser Refuses to Engage with Media
When approached by Fox 11 reporters at the scene, a woman with long curly hair, believed to be one of the protest organisers, refused to comment on the demonstration. She explicitly stated she did not "trust Fox" as a news outlet. When pressed on whether the group thought the officers inside were with ICE, she responded with a single, non-committal word: "Potentially."
The woman was seen holding a megaphone in one hand while using her phone to record the scene with the other. She also instructed restaurant employees not to speak with the television station, telling reporters, "Yeah sorry to you. Nobody's gonna talk to you."
Customer Draws Parallel to Broader Immigration Tensions
A male customer who arrived at the restaurant just after the chaotic scene had subsided offered his perspective to Fox 11. "I think there is a place and time for everything," he said. After being informed that the authorities inside were merely TSA agents, he elaborated on the emotional climate.
"You wouldn't understand. People get very emotional so they easily make mistakes," he told the reporter. He then drew a direct comparison to the actions of ICE itself, stating, "It happens! You take it out on the wrong people, which, same thing as ICE. They say they're after criminals, but they're taking it out on everybody."
A Pattern of Mistaken Identity Amid National Tensions
This incident in Los Angeles is not an isolated case. It occurs against a backdrop of heightened national tensions surrounding immigration enforcement under the current administration. Similar episodes of mistaken identity have been reported elsewhere in the country.
Just over a week prior to the Lynwood event, a group of five software engineers were targeted by anti-ICE protesters at Clancy's Deli in Minneapolis. The men, who have no affiliation with federal immigration authorities, were subjected to shouted obscenities and threats. One protester yelled, "Get out of our f***ing neighbourhood," while another declared, "If you're not with us, you're against us."
One of the victims, known only as Lee, claimed the mob's ringleader justified harassing the group because they were "white privileged males." Lee also alleged the restaurant owner falsely identified the diners as federal agents, potentially inciting the crowd. "You don't tell extremists that random customers are ICE agents. That's how people get hurt," Lee said, noting that one friend feared being shot.
The national climate remains volatile, particularly in Minneapolis, which has been at the forefront of the controversy following recent fatal shootings involving Border Patrol and ICE agents during demonstrations. These events illustrate the dangerous potential for misinformation and mistaken identity to escalate quickly in an already charged atmosphere.
