In the wake of Alex Pretti’s brutal murder by ICE officers, it is more crucial than ever to remember the events that occurred in Minnesota just the day before. On the coldest day of the year to date, Minnesotans gathered in Minneapolis for a one-day general strike, using a multitude of tactics to signal to the Trump administration and DHS that they would continue to show up for their immigrant neighbors and resist racist terror and violence.

With over 700 businesses in Minneapolis closed for the day, and many other cities across the US holding solidarity protests, Minnesotans got started early in the morning by blockading the local ICE detention center. At the same time, over 1000 people, including clergy and religious leaders from all over the US, protested at the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, where deportation flights have been leaving since December. Then, up to 50,000 people marched and rallied in downtown Minneapolis chanting “ICE OUT.”

We must not only focus on the horrific murder of the following day. The people power harnessed to create a massive general strike in Minneapolis, and the speed and efficiency with which ordinary people organized ICE watches, are important and hopeful lessons for organizers to reflect on, and celebrate.

(Taken from an email sent to me by Never Again Action.)