Protesters surround Border Patrol in Alameda, authorities deploy flash bangs

ALAMEDA, Calif. - Roughly 300 protesters were out in force on Thursday morning, decrying the immigration operation stemming from Coast Guard Island Alameda.

While most of the protest seemed to be peaceful, there was at least one tense moment about 7:30 a.m. when some protesters were seen surrounding a Border Patrol truck entering the site.

Protesters were seen banging on the windows of the truck, and it appeared as though someone might have thrown a hot drink at the truck as well. 

In return, someone in law enforcement, either Border Patrol or Coast Guard police,  deployed flash bangs to disperse the crowd. 

Jorge Bautista, a local pastor from Oakland, had a smoke bomb go off in his face. He said he was protesting peacefully.

"I came to say we're here in peace," he said. "And he didn't care. There is nothing else to say, clearly he wanted to cause harm to me." 

Another man said he was struck by a Border Patrol vehicle. 

The protest was in reaction to a team of federal agents from multi-agencies being sent to Coast Guard Base Alameda as part of President Donald Trump's continued crackdown on immigration across the U.S.

A federal source who requested anonymity confirmed on Thursday that roughly 100 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are conducting an operation with "pre-identified" targets, which could likely include going to Home Depots around the Bay Area, as there are often undocumented immigrants there. 

Border Patrol is the law enforcement arm of CBP.

The source said that efforts will ramp up "this weekend."

He would not elaborate on the exact nature of the operation or how long it would last, citing the safety of immigration officers who have been assaulted by "violent" protesters. He also wouldn't name the other agencies involved. 

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated protesters threw rocks at a Border Patrol vehicle.