Protesters line O street to speak out after deadly ICE shooting in Minneapolis
LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Protesters took to the streets on Sunday despite the frigid temperatures to speak out against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
The protests come after agents shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday.
SEE ALSO: Man shot during Minneapolis immigration crackdown has died, hospital record shows
Pretti’s death marks the second time a Minnesotan has been killed by federal officers this month.
Just weeks ago, Renee Good was in her car when she was shot and killed by an ICE agent.
“People are getting killed in the streets right now, by our own government,” said one of the organizers of the protest, who did not want to be named. “There’s no way this isn’t fascism, or the start of it. We really wanted to show people that there’s more of us than them.”
SEE ALSO: Protesters gather for “ICE Out For Good” rally in downtown Lincoln
Indivisible Nebraska-Lincoln organized the demonstration as soon as news of Pretti’s death spread, and their call for action didn’t go unanswered.
“We weren’t expecting this big of a turnout at all,” one of the organizers said. “It was just going to be the three of us, so we posted online. People are angry. This just shows how angry. It’s cold, people are angry, and this shows how angry people are. We don’t want to be out here; we’d rather be anywhere else. But we have to stand up and fight back.”
Homeland Security says Pretti approached the U.S. Border Patrol officers with a handgun, and they say the man violently resisted when they tried to disarm him.
Despite the backlash nationwide, Customs and Border Protection Commander Gregory Bovino said the agents acted appropriately during the situation.
“He brought a semi-automatic weapon to a riot, assaulted federal officers, and at some point, they saw that weapon,” Bovino said. “I do believe the Secretary is 100% spot on in what she said. Why would you bring a weapon and assault a federal officer if you did not have the intent to harm or delay or obstruct that federal officer with a weapon?”
Indivisible Nebraska-Lincoln said they plan to hold a vigil on Tuesday to remember all of the lives taken at the hands of ICE agents.
Channel 8 reached out to the Nebraska GOP for a comment on the protests, but has not heard back.
Congressman Mike Flood posted his response to the conflict and chaos on social media:
“Community leaders should work to restore order in Minneapolis. Stoking anger only makes the situation worse. No matter your political persuasion, we should all want peace to win over chaos. In moments like this, all parties need to pause, wait for the all the facts to become clear, and allow a full investigation to be completed.”
Sen. Pete Ricketts released a statement on the death of Pretti:
“The nation witnessed a horrifying situation this weekend. My prayers are with the family of Alex Pretti.
My support for funding ICE remains the same. Enforcing our immigration laws makes our streets safer. It also protects our national security. But we must also maintain our core values as a nation, including the right to protest and assemble.
I expect a prioritized, transparent investigation into this incident.”
Dan Osborn posted his reaction on social media, calling for a clean investigation:
“I need to be very clear that I support the mission of law enforcement to protect and serve the communities where we live. I am angry about what we saw happen in Minneapolis yesterday. For the sake of our Constitution and for the country to move forward, we need more answers and a thorough, unbiased investigation into what happened.”
