SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - San Francisco's Roxie Theater is among the local businesses that closed their doors Friday as part of the nationwide protest against ICE.
At the iconic cinema on 16th Street Friday, the screen was dark, the seats empty—on what would otherwise be a busy night.
The Roxie's executive director, Lex Sloan, says shutting down for the day was an important way to show solidarity with immigrant communities in the Mission and beyond.
What they're saying:
"It wasn't an easy decision or a casual decision for us. We sold hundreds of tickets to our screenings tonight, but ultimately we felt it was important to meet this moment for our staff and our community to be able to show up at the protest at Dolores Park, and for us to stand in opposition to ICE," said Sloan.
Dozens of businesses across the Bay Area made the decision to close Friday as part of the ‘National Day of Action’, in the wake of the shooting deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.
Sloan says the nonprofit theater stands to lose thousands of dollars by keeping its doors closed, and the Roxie has refunded people who bought tickets ahead of time.
The theater will be back open Saturday.
Thousands march in anti-ICE protests across Bay Area
Students across the Bay Area took to the streets on Friday during what's been billed as a national day of action to protest the action of federal immigration officers following the deaths of two people in Minnesota.