(Minneapolis) Hundreds of rallies are planned for Saturday and Sunday across the United States to protest the methods of the federal immigration police (ICE), after the fatal shooting of one of its agents against a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis.
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Behind the slogan “ICE, out for Good”, also echoing the name of the victim, Renee Nicole Good, calls to demonstrate are notably relayed by the “No Kings” movement, a network of left-wing organizations hostile to Donald Trump.
“We are here to condemn the actions of ICE agents and all those who terrorize our communities under the false pretense of enforcing law and order. What they are doing has nothing to do with security. It’s fear. It’s violence,” says Alissa Washington, who will participate in a rally in the afternoon in Minneapolis.
The death of this American mother, shot dead in her car on Wednesday during an operation, aroused strong emotion in this Democratic stronghold city, and beyond among Americans worried about the excesses of the fight against illegal immigration, made a national priority.
According to the government, the officer fired in self-defense when Renee Nicole Good tried to run him over with her vehicle.
To support its claims, the administration released a video on Friday, taken during the operation by the incriminated agent, Jonathan Ross.
The clip shows the driver’s red SUV driving across the snowy road as sirens blare.
At the wheel, Renee Nicole Good says, “I’m not mad at you” to the officer, who walks around the car. When Jonathan Ross passes the hood of the SUV, she reverses, before turning forward, when gunshots ring out. “Fucking bitch,” blurts a male voice.
“Transparent investigation”
Several videos of the same scene taken by witnesses circulating since Wednesday tend to suggest that the police officer is not really threatened by the driver when her vehicle moves forward. On the contrary, she seems to be trying to avoid it.
Questioned by local media, the victim’s wife Becca Good, who is also seen in the images, said that the two were there at the time of the incident to “support our neighbors” targeted by ICE. “We had whistles, they had guns.”
On Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered loudly in front of Minneapolis hotels supposed to house ICE agents, equipped with whistles, loudspeakers and musical instruments.
PHOTO JOHN LOCHER, ASSOCIATED PRESS
On Friday evening, hundreds of people gathered loudly outside Minneapolis hotels believed to house ICE agents.
Several people were arrested and then quickly released, the city police said.
Democratic elected officials deplore that local investigators were excluded from the investigations, carried out by the FBI.
“Now is the time to follow the law…the fact that Pam Bondi’s Justice Department and this presidential administration have already reached conclusions on these facts is deeply concerning,” said Minneapolis Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey.
PHOTO JEN GOLBECK, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey
A feeling shared by Patrick O’Shaughnessy, a 43-year-old resident of Minneapolis interviewed by AFP on Friday.
When the FBI says it will not share evidence with local authorities, the public cannot believe that this will be a truly transparent investigation.
Patrick O’Shaughnessy, Minneapolis resident
According to the American media The Trace, specializing in gun violence, Renee Nicole Good is the fourth person killed by federal immigration agents since the launch of the Trump administration’s deportation policy, and seven others were injured.
In a separate incident, two people were injured Thursday in Portland, Oregon, by federal border police shooting during a traffic stop.
