On Thursday morning, six demonstrators were arrested while protesting outside their offices in New York City. The protest aimed to spotlight businesses engaged in controversial practices that facilitate the deportation of immigrants in the United States.
The activists gathered in front of the Palantir office located on Manhattan Avenue, linking their arms to obstruct the building’s entrance, effectively stopping several individuals attempting to pass. At one point, some protesters entered the lobby of the building, holding signs that read “Palantir Powers ICE,” referencing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Organized by Planet over Profit, a climate justice organization that addresses systemic inequality, the protest received support from the immigration rights group Mijente. After approximately an hour, police intervened, dispersing the crowd. The six arrested individuals were subsequently taken to the seventh precinct and released by 11:20 AM.
Protesters are arrested outside Palantir’s New York office. Photo: Luigi Morris
Caroline Chouinard, a Brooklyn resident among those arrested, stated that police began zip-tying individuals before fully complying with dispersal commands. Chouinard mentioned that some people identifying themselves as Palantir employees also physically advanced on the protesters. Video footage taken by Planet representatives did not confirm if those pushing the protesters were indeed Palantir employees. Chouinard was released on a subpoena for a court appearance regarding disorderly conduct charges.
“During the arrest, we faced significant physical violence,” Chouinard told the Guardian. “I didn’t plan to get arrested personally. I positioned my body to stand my ground. I was continually pushed down and grabbed.”
Chouinard expressed their reason for attending the protest was to oppose Palantir’s role in enabling institutions that “have harmed my neighbor and made them disappear.”
“We are interrupting Palantir’s normal operations because it doesn’t belong in NYC to create AI that strengthens and streamlines fascism,” Chouinard stated. “Palantir specializes in monitoring and tracking individuals. It’s our duty to keep them accountable. They collaborate with the Trump administration, ICE, and the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). From New York to Los Angeles, fear is perpetuated by companies like Palantir.”
The company has not yet responded to requests for comments regarding the protest.
Protesters are demonstrating outside Palantir’s New York office. Photo: Luigi Morris
Founded in 2003 by billionaire investor Peter Thiel and currently led by CEO Alex Karp, Palantir, known for data mining, has garnered criticism due to its increasing contracts with the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies. In April, Palantir received a $30 million contract to develop an immigration surveillance platform for ICE, aimed at expediting the identification and apprehension of targeted immigrants. This contract adds to previous ICE contracts, with Palantir first awarded one during the Obama administration in 2014, subsequently renewed multiple times. The company is set to assist in creating “Mega APIs” for data access within the Internal Revenue Service.
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In a letter sent in mid-June, ten Democrats highlighted that Palantir’s initiative to construct a “mega-database” for the Trump administration would combine personal information from multiple government sources, risking violations of federal privacy laws according to reports from the New York Times.
The company refuted the claims made by the Democrats’ letter, asserting: “To clarify: Palantir does not create a master database, nor do we enable extensive surveillance of American citizens. We do not manage the system or determine its applications.”
Protesters did not expect any response from Palantir concerning their demands to cease collaborations with ICE or other federal entities. According to Liv Senghor, the lead organizer from Planet over Profit, their focus was on mobilizing “the average American.”
“We want everyday individuals who value freedom of speech and privacy to recognize how deeply ingrained Palantir is in not just our government and military, but also in our everyday lives,” Senghor stated. “Our objective is to stir sufficient anger and frustration toward Palantir, inciting a grassroots movement of common people who can be heard.”
The protest organizers are also planning to hold a demonstration in front of Palantir’s Palo Alto office on Thursday afternoon.
Source: www.theguardian.com
