A nightly curfew is now in place around Delaney Hall, where tensions between protesters and law enforcement have escalated each day as detainees inside continue their hunger and labor strike inside the ICE facility. Newark Mayor Ras Baraka ordered the curfew late Saturday night following back-to -back nights of clashes between protesters and state police, recently assigned to the facility by Gov. Mikie Sherrill. “Due to the escalating situation at Delaney Hall and the increasing need for police intervention, immediate action is required to protect public safety. Multiple individuals have already been arrested and found in possession of weapons, underscoring the seriousness of the threat,” Baraka said in a statement announcing the curfew. “To ensure the safety and well-being of all residents, a mandatory curfew for a half-mile area surrounding Delaney Hall is being implemented, effective immediately.” Doremus Avenue, the main road running alongside the facility, will be closed to “pedestrian traffic” every night starting at 9 p.m. until 6 a.m. the next morning, according to the mayor. Vehicle access will also be limited to people with “official business” in the area. The escalating response from local officials comes after the governor New Jersey state police created designated protest zones in the name of public safety. Once local and state police established a presence outside, ICE agents moved back inside the facility’s perimeter fence. Protesters at Delaney Hall allege the facility has inedible food, dirty conditions and that detainees lack access to medical care. Saturday saw some of its largest crowds yet, as both protesters and counter-protesters, particularly members of the Proud Boys, clashed outside the facility. A Bloomfield man said it was the presence of the Proud Boys that prompted him to come out and stand with protesters in Newark. “What we won’t tolerate in Newark, New Jersey, is them trying to intimidate. What I saw yesterday from them, the Proud Boys, was intimidation, an attempt at intimidation,” Akin Dunbar said Sunday morning. “And we’re not going to stand for it.” Late Saturday, the ninth day of continual protests outside of the Newark detention center, a group of protesters were seen lighting a large fire in the middle of Doremus Avenue. Traffic cones, tires and chairs were piled high in the street and set on fire. “Rather than remain within the established area for peaceful protest, these individuals attempted to push forward into the zone designated for law enforcement, attacking the barrier and putting the safety of protestors and law enforcement in jeopardy,” Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said in a statement. “These individuals have also charged at law enforcement, thrown projectiles at law enforcement, and set a fire on Newark’s streets.” Davenport thanked the “overwhelmingly peaceful protesters” spotlighting the conditions inside Delaney Hall, but said state and local police would continue to secure the area outside the facility. The governor and state police have defended the actions of officials to try and gain control of protesters, including the use of tear gas. “If we have to use any type of chemical munitions, again, that is to keep people safe. It’s an irritant. It’s not something that’s a strike. We were not striking anybody last night. There was no fist thrown,” Lt. Col. David Sierotowicz, of the NJSP, said. State officials said six people were arrested on Friday night. ...read more read less