On Saturday, Minneapolis woke up still in a mood of hope and unity. The general strike the day before had brought tens of thousands of people together peacefully on the streets of the city center. The feeling that with unity we could defy the invasion by the immigration police ICE spread through the population of the troubled city. But on Sunday, all of that gave way to deep anger, exhaustion and fear.
At the Nicollet Avenuethe place where the nurse Alex Pretti shot by ICE mercenaries at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning a street battle quickly broke out. Angry residents became increasingly heated toward the ICE men and vented their frustration with verbal attacks such as “murderer” and “Gestapo.” As usual, the ICE troops responded aggressively with tear gas, smoke grenades and pepper spray.
By afternoon, demonstrators had set up barricades at the entrance to the street, which is otherwise a popular destination for Latin American and Asian restaurants. They drummed on garbage cans and demanded that ICE be withdrawn from their city. There was a feeling of war in the air.
Fear is everywhere
Lee Stedman war in den Weeks previously involved in “Rapid Response”. – a network of citizens who monitor and hinder ICE as much as possible in the city’s neighborhoods. Minneapolis is now in a state of open military occupation, he said. The murder of Pretti is a clear sign that ICE is intent on escalating the situation. The brutality and callousness of the men who shot Pretti had already been noticeable in the days before. ICE doesn’t even bother to mask anymore. In addition, they are in the process of infiltrating the protests and fighting the resistance from within.
ICE is Trump’s personal protection squad intent on being as brutal as possible
Stephen Marche, Autor
The feeling from the previous day that the peaceful power of the street can do something gave way to fear. “People no longer dare to go out on the streets,” said Rabbi Marcia Zimmerman opposite that Minneapolis Star Tribune. “They are afraid even in their own homes.”
Fears of an open armed conflict are growing in the city. More and more people, like the murdered Pretti, are carrying weapons – which is allowed in Minnesota. The Governor of Minnesota, Tim Waltzthe National Guard has mobilized. And Trump’s threat to deploy the military under the Insurrection Act still hangs in the air. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke in an interview about the possibility of an open confrontation between police and ICE.
Trump’s personal protection squadron
Stephen Marche, author of a book about the possibility of a new civil war in the United States, described the situation this way: “You have Trump’s personal protection squad, ICE, intent on being as brutal as possible.” In addition, there would be a poorly trained police force and a National Guard consisting of after-work soldiers. “But everyone is armed to the teeth and no one knows exactly where their loyalties lie.”
“The police department stands with the people of Minneapolis. But many street cops are Trump supporters,” said Adam Levy, a Minneapolis activist. The situation is a powder keg, no one is in command. Minneapolis State Senator Mike Wiener said: “There’s no one to stop it. There’s no adult at home.”