Federal agents in helmets, gas masks and camouflage fatigues shot and killed 37-year-old Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis on Saturday, prompting accusations of fascism and comparisons to civil war. The incident occurred just over a mile from where Renee Good was fatally shot in January, and less than a mile from where George Floyd was murdered by police in 2020.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded answers, asking how many more Americans must die or be hurt for the operation to end. The Trump administration has deployed 3,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection agents to Minnesota, outnumbering the ten largest local and state police agencies combined. Many operate with masks and weapons but insufficient de-escalation training.
Local politicians have been roughed up, legal observers arrested without charge, schoolchildren teargassed, and motorists dragged from their cars. Native Americans have been stopped and questioned, and filming agents can lead to being branded a domestic terrorist. Journalist Garrett Graff wrote that Minneapolis is living under occupation by fascist presidential secret police.
President Trump has targeted Democratic-led cities with Black leaders, reminiscent of authoritarian tactics used by Saddam Hussein and Joseph Stalin. He lost Minnesota in the 2016, 2020 and 2024 elections, and recently falsely claimed victory there. The state has a large Somali community, which Trump described as 'low-IQ people', and is home to progressive congresswoman Ilhan Omar and Governor Tim Walz, Kamala Harris's 2024 running mate.
The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis sparked nationwide Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Saturday's shooting has revived fears of state violence, with protesters calling agents 'cowards' and demanding they leave.
