Escalation: Sherrill Deploys State Police at Protests

Backlash to the state police crackdown outside Delaney Hall spilled into the street and the Statehouse. A few dozen people rallied in Trenton, accusing Gov. Mikie Sherrill of worsening the situation. The anger followed Sunday night’s operation in Newark, when state police used tear gas and arrested at least 46 people under a city curfew, including journalists who were exempt from the curfew. A local news crew was pulled from a vehicle and exposed to gas, and several reporters were arrested, with some hospitalized.

On Tuesday, Newark shifted control of the protest area from state police to city police. The city lifted the half‑mile curfew and removed barricades that had pushed demonstrations blocks away, allowing people inside Delaney Hall to hear supporters again.

The same day, the state sued GEO Group, Delaney Hall’s operator, seeking a court order for full access by health inspectors who had been limited since mid‑week. Newark moved to expand its own lawsuit and pressed for the facility’s closure. The Department of Homeland Security dismissed the state’s suit as frivolous.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources