LIVE STOP ICE INVASION Protest as Trump TARGETS Top Minnesota Dems
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Hundreds of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis in single-digit temperatures to oppose the Trump administration's ICE operations and potential federal troop deployment.
- ❖Speakers from groups like PSL condemned 'Operation Metro Surge,' which deployed over 3,000 ICE agents, leading to thousands of detentions and alleged violence.
- ❖Local leaders, including Mayor Jacob Frey, Governor Tim Walz, and Attorney General Keith Ellison, faced reported subpoenas from the Trump Justice Department for their opposition to federal immigration policies.
- ❖A general strike is planned for January 23rd, calling for 'no work, no school, no shopping' to collectively resist federal actions, despite forecast negative 10-degree temperatures.
- ❖Protesters highlighted the indirect harm of federal actions, including fear preventing access to essential services like addiction support groups and schools shifting to online learning.
- ❖Some businesses in the Twin Cities committed to shutting down on January 23rd in solidarity with the general strike.
- ❖The protest included chants in English and Spanish, emphasizing unity and defiance against ICE and perceived racist policies.
- ❖One protester, dressed as a 'Pink Shark,' used 'absurdism' as a foil to fascism, noting ICE has killed more people than sharks in the last year.
- ❖The reporter emphasized the lack of national and local media coverage, contrasting it with independent journalism efforts.
Insights
1Massive Federal Immigration Operation in Twin Cities
The Trump administration initiated 'Operation Metro Surge,' deploying over 3,000 ICE agents to the Twin Cities, described as the largest DHS operation in history. This influx led to thousands of detentions and alleged violence in homes, schools, places of worship, and workplaces.
Josh, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, stated, '2 months ago, Operation Metro Surge began. The largest DHS operation in history has brought over 3,000 ICE agents into our communities, resulting in thousands of detentions and horrific violence at our homes, our schools, places of worship, and our workplaces.' He contrasted this with Chicago's Operation Midway Blitz, which had 300-600 agents at its peak despite double the population.
2Weaponization of Justice Department Against Local Leaders
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, and Attorney General Keith Ellison were reportedly served with subpoenas by the Trump Justice Department. This action was framed as part of an investigation into their opposition to the Trump administration's deportation agenda, which AG Ellison previously characterized as the weaponization of the Justice Department against political enemies.
The reporter stated, 'local and state leaders here being Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, uh uh Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison have are reportedly going to be served with subpoenas by the Trump Justice Department as part of an investigation into them for their opposition to the Trump administration and its uh deportation agenda.' AG Ellison had previously said the Trump administration was 'weaponizing the Justice Department against its enemies.'
3Community-Wide Fear and Disruption from ICE Presence
The federal immigration crackdown generated widespread fear, impacting daily life beyond direct detentions. Schools shifted to online learning due to student fear, businesses closed, and essential services like addiction support groups were canceled, as people feared leaving their homes.
A speaker mentioned, 'I don't think um the average person in our cities feels safe right now.' () Emelina, a high school student, stated, 'Most of my high school in MPS, they are mostly online now because they are afraid to come out and mostly students are mostly afraid to come out and even go to school.' () Joshua McMillan noted, 'People are canceling recovery groups, people that are in addiction that need recovery. People are are scared to go out.' () He added, 'schools are offering remote learning right now because children are scared that addiction support groups are not meeting.' ()
4Planned General Strike to Resist Federal Actions
Organizations in Minneapolis planned a general strike for January 23rd, calling for 'no work, no school, no shopping' to demonstrate collective power against the Trump administration's policies. This action was initiated by labor unions and garnered widespread community support, despite forecasts of extreme cold.
The reporter stated, 'organizations here in Minneapolis are planning a general strike here in the city along with a rally.' () Josh, a PSL organizer, emphasized, 'When we strike on Friday, January 23rd, it will send shockwaves throughout the entire nation that will be impossible to ignore.' () Doug, a PSL organizer, confirmed, 'the labor unions started the call, but the people are organically ready to stop work, stop school, stop shopping, to shut the city down, to such to shut this state down.' ()
Lessons
- Support independent journalism like Status Coup and Midas Touch Network to get on-the-ground reporting on federal actions and community responses, especially when mainstream media is absent.
- Participate in local community organizing and rapid response networks to directly support vulnerable populations with essentials like groceries, transportation, and rent, as demonstrated by PSL Twin Cities' mutual aid efforts.
- Consider participating in or supporting economic actions like general strikes, as planned for January 23rd in Minneapolis, to collectively resist perceived federal overreach and express dissent.
Organizing Community Resistance Against Federal Overreach
Establish rapid response networks and mutual aid funds to directly support affected community members with essentials like groceries, transportation, and rent.
Engage local businesses to build solidarity and encourage participation in economic actions, highlighting how federal operations negatively impact their bottom line.
Organize public demonstrations, rallies, and marches, even in challenging conditions, to maintain visibility, amplify community voices, and pressure authorities.
Utilize creative and non-violent protest tactics, such as 'absurdist' costumes, to draw attention and highlight the perceived absurdity of government actions.
Call for and coordinate broader economic actions, like general strikes ('no work, no school, no shopping'), to demonstrate collective power and create significant disruption.
Maintain consistent on-the-ground reporting and documentation of events, especially when mainstream media coverage is lacking, to counter official narratives and inform the wider public.
Notable Moments
Protesters confront hotel believed to house ICE agents, successfully pressuring some businesses to cancel federal reservations.
This highlights a direct action tactic used by protesters to disrupt ICE operations by targeting their logistical support, demonstrating a tangible impact of community pressure on private businesses.
A protester dressed as a 'Pink Shark' explains using 'absurdism' as a foil to fascism and to make people smile amidst serious protest.
This illustrates a creative and non-violent approach to protest, aiming to disarm official narratives and make the resistance visually distinctive and memorable, while also highlighting the perceived absurdity of the situation.
A high school student from the Red Lake Band of Ojibwe Tribe speaks about the fear of being taken from family and how public schools, once safe, are now places of fear due to ICE presence.
This provides a poignant, personal perspective on the psychological impact of federal immigration enforcement on indigenous youth and highlights how the 'occupation' fundamentally alters perceptions of safety in everyday institutions.
Quotes
"We've been occupied and ICE is certainly taking its toll. We went from holding, you know, little protests on the capital steps... to thousands of feet in the streets now."
"There is no law that requires Hennepin County Sheriff's to do this. This is a choice made by Sheriff Dawanna Witt. And it just so happens her re-election campaign kicks off tonight."
"Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation. Well, today, in this historic moment, it is our turn to fight and win it."
"To enforce his racist policies, Trump is willing to force countless Minnesotans into poverty. To secure his power, he has declared open warfare on the working people of Minnesota."
"The politicians across the political spectrum want us to stay home, including Governor Walz and Mayor Jacob Frey. This is blatant misleadership and falls right into Trump's dangerous narrative that our mass movement is somehow wrong or illegal."
"ICE has terrorized many of my people in my community by taking them every day and putting them in facilities and unmarked vehicles every single day."
"Public schools are supposed to be one of my safe places... But now it's one of the places where I'm most afraid of. All because of the color of my skin or if I have the most slightest of an accent is where I could be taken."
"I think Donald Trump is a child. I think that he is... bummed out that people aren't supporting him the way he wants to be. I think he's reacting in a way that's absolutely absurd to be holding our government officials under some sort of... contempt of justice here."
"The only thing that has changed as far as I've seen reported at the Wipley Building is that they're not bringing their machine guns out anymore. But that doesn't mean that they've stopped any of their chemical irritants... It is a war zone, I believe, as reported by the New York Times, the closest thing to a civil war that they've seen."
"ICE has killed four times as many people as sharks in the last year. ICE out of our water."
"If I were deployed the first question is who is the enemy? What is the situation? What is the friendly forces situation look like? What is the enemy forces situation looks like? What is the terrain look like? I can't think of a scenario where the enemy is not the US people and as a soldier you don't want the US people to be your enemy."
Q&A
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