Large protests spread across the United States on Saturday, including in Minneapolis, New York City, San Francisco, Boston, Providence and Washington DC, after 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a registered nurse from Minneapolis, was shot dead by federal agents. The demonstrations came just a day after thousands marched through Minneapolis to protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Protesters braved extreme cold weather to speak out against ICE and show support for Pretti and others harmed by the surge of immigration agents in the city. In New York, thousands rallied at Union Square, with New York city council member Chi Ossé calling for Nuremberg trials for ICE agents. In Washington DC, a large crowd formed outside the Department of Homeland Security headquarters, chanting “shame”.
In San Francisco, hundreds gathered downtown, holding banners admonishing ICE and demanding justice for Renee Good, another Minneapolis resident killed by an immigration officer earlier this month. In Los Angeles, protesters gathered holding signs reading “From Los Angeles to Minneapolis, stop ICE terror”, while in Providence, hundreds demonstrated outside local DHS headquarters, chanting “Shut it down”.
Pretti, a US citizen who worked in the intensive care unit at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, was shot multiple times during an exchange with law enforcement officers. Viral video appears to show Pretti being wrestled to the ground and a gun taken from him before the shots were fired. The DHS has claimed Pretti approached officers with a 9mm handgun, but video evidence does not show him holding a weapon. Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara said Pretti was a lawful gun owner with a permit to carry.
In Minneapolis, hundreds gathered quietly at the site of the shooting, with signs saying “Justice for Alex Pretti” and chanting his name and Renee Good’s. A nearby doughnut shop and clothing store remained open as the memorial grew.
