Despite the cold weather, thousands gathered on 10/1 in a snow-covered park in Minneapolis, Minnesota, near where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, Jonathan Ross, fatally shot 37-year-old driver Renee Good on 7/1.
Protesters carried banners demanding ICE leave Minnesota. As the demonstration began, someone called out, "Say her name," and the crowd chanted in unison, "Renee Good."
The call for protests is being amplified by the "No Kings" movement, a network of left-wing organizations that has organized nationwide marches against President Donald Trump since last year.
Organizers stated that over 1,000 protests are planned across the US this weekend to oppose ICE's immigration enforcement operations.
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A crowd protests against ICE in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US on 10/1. Photo: AFP |
Drew Lenzmeier, 30, said he joined the Minneapolis protest because he "felt our rights were being stripped away" and "no one was stopping ICE agents from killing citizens." He added, "It's time to stop them."
On the evening of 9/1, hundreds gathered outside hotels in Minneapolis, believed to house ICE agents. They brought whistles, loudspeakers, and musical instruments, creating a raucous scene. Some individuals were arrested and released shortly after.
The fatal shooting of Good by an ICE agent sparked a wave of opposition in Minnesota, a Democratic stronghold, and across the country.
"An ICE agent shot a woman in the face in self-defense. It's nonsense. Let them come here and act like that, and see what really happens to ICE," said Alex Vega, a protester in Boston, Massachusetts.
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, protesters marched in the rain from City Hall to the ICE office. Others gathered in New York and Washington, with demonstrations attracting tens to hundreds of participants.
According to The Trace, Good is the fourth person federal immigration agents have fatally shot since the Trump administration launched a large-scale deportation campaign.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated the incident occurred when Good "attempted to ram an ICE agent in the street." DHS Secretary Kristi Noem described Good's action as "domestic terrorism" and said the ICE agent fired in self-defense.
Minnesota state officials expressed skepticism about this information after videos surfaced online showing ICE agents blocking Good's vehicle. One agent approached, pulling the door handle, seemingly to extract her from the vehicle. As Good drove away, the ICE agent in front of the car drew a weapon, firing multiple shots into the windshield. Officials argued Good posed no threat to the ICE agent's life.
Minnesota announced on 9/1 it launched its own criminal investigation, accusing the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of refusing to cooperate with state investigators.
Huyen Le (According to AFP, AP)
