Pearl River police arrested three people last month who were protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies at a prominent highway intersection, a move that sparked a larger gathering of protesters and counter protesters on Thursday and raised questions about free speech protections.

About 5 p.m. on Jan. 28, officers with the Pearl River Police Department arrived at the intersection of Louisiana 41 and Louisiana 3081 in Pearl River after receiving complaints that a small group were obstructing traffic and using profanity toward motorists and children on school buses, according to a police department news release.

One of the people, Lauren McKinney, 34, of Slidell, said she had held a sign that said “F--- ICE” written on it, referring to one of the agencies leading the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Another person had been using a bullhorn to say the same phrase, and a similar one about Trump, McKinney said.