Minneapolis [US], January 12: Minneapolis streets were filled with tens of thousands of protesters on Saturday, despite a biting cold wind, amid anger over the deadly shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by ICE agent on Wednesday.
Thousands of protests have been called, but the one in Minneapolis, where the incident took place, is expected to be the largest.
The demonstrators marched toward the street where Good was shot while in her car. They were led by a group of Indigenous Mexican dancers.
ICE agents have been carrying out massive operations targeting migrants since President Donald Trump returned to power.
Crowds chanted "Abolish ICE" and "No justice, no peace - get ICE off our streets."
Anti-ICE protests are not new to Minneapolis, but have grown since Good's killing.
On Friday, some 1,000 protesters gathered at hotels believed to be housing ICE agents, with thousands of dollars in damage reported after some of them tried to enter the premises.
Minneapolis police write up 29 for attacks on cops
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara on Saturday said that his officers wrote 29 citations overnight as authorities came under attack from some of the nearly 1,000 people gathered to protest the killing of Renee Good by ICE agents earlier this week.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stressed that while protests have remained largely peaceful, violent or destructive behavior would be vigorously prosecuted. Frey faulted "agitators that are trying to rile up large crowds," saying, "This is what Donald Trump wants. He wants us to take the bait."
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz struck a similar tone in a social media post, writing: "Trump sent thousands of armed federal officers into our state, and it took just one day for them to kill someone. Now he wants nothing more than to see chaos distract from that horrific action. Don't give him what he wants."
Police Chief O'Hara also referenced another growing problem, cars abandoned around the city - some with animals in them - left at the scene after ICE agents detained the vehicles' owners.
Why are people protesting?
This weekend's protests come in response to Wednesday's killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman, at the hands of ICE agents sent to Minneapolis in the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) largest-ever immigration enforcement operation.
The Trump administration has been surging thousands of federal officers to Minnesota under a sweeping new crackdown partially tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents.
More than 2,000 officers are taking part in the operation, with Somalis being singled out by Trump.
Good was killed Wednesday by an officer that the Trump administration argues was acting in self-defense. Video of the incident has raised questions, as has Trump's efforts to pre-judge the case and label the victim a "domestic terrorist" - something that there is no evidence of.
In video apparently recorded by the shooter at the time of the altercation, Good can be seen smiling at the the officer and saying "I'm not mad at you" before he is verbally taunted by Good's wife.
As she hops in the vehicle and the two attempt to drive off, shots ring out as Good speeds past and the officer is heard muttering "fucking bitch" before leaving the scene.
Hundreds of protests expected across US
Anger and dismay over the deployment of federal immigration agents on the streets of a major US city have once again triggered protests. This week's killing of Renee Good at the hands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is expected to spawn hundreds of demonstrations nationwide.
This weekend's events are taking place under the motto, "ICE, Out for Good," referencing the deployment of federal agents on US streets; and Good, the woman fatally shot by one of those ICE agents this week.
The Trump administration has argued that the officer who killed Good acted in self-defense despite evidence that he failed to follow agency safety guidelines.
Indivisible, a social justice organization formed to resist the Trump administration, said hundreds of protests were scheduled in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Ohio, Florida and other states.
Representatives said weekend rallies and marches would celebrate Renee Good's life and call for an "end to deadly terror on our streets."
Groups tied to previous "No Kings" protests are also amplifying calls to demonstrate against the deployment of federal troops to US streets.
Source: Times of Oman
