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Chaos erupted in Lower Manhattan Tuesday afternoon, as dozens of masked federal agents targeting street vendors on Canal Street were met with droves of spontaneous counter protesters.

It’s unclear how many people the federal agents ultimately detained, though video and eyewitness accounts suggested as many as four — and likely far more.

The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request from THE CITY for comment.

As the operation carried on, agents were confronted with a spontaneous crowd of growing counter demonstrators, who

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