When learning about history, we all think that if we were there, we would’ve stood up for what was right. Well, now’s the time to join the right side of history.
Since the cruel murder of Renée Good on January 7th, there have been nonstop protests across the state of Minnesota. About two weeks after Good’s murder, Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was killed by ICE agents.
Good and Pretti aren’t the only people who were shot and killed by ICE. Silverio Villegas González was shot by an ICE agent on September 12th in Chicago, and Keith Porter Jr. was shot by an off-duty ICE agent on New Year’s Eve in Los Angeles.
Prior to hearing about Good, I hadn’t heard about the murders of Porter or González, which is no surprise due to how the justice system “works.” No matter what happened before their killings, neither of them should have been shot.
Following these murders, a nationwide shutdown was announced, which urged people to take action against the violent crimes that ICE has committed.
There was an informational flyer posted on social media that read, “No work, no school, no shopping. ICE out everywhere!!”
This shutdown grabbed people’s attention. School walkouts were planned, people called into work, and many decided to stop giving their money to companies that support ICE.
On Friday, January 30th, there were over 300 anti-ICE protests, and over 1,000 organizations joined the fight against ICE.
One of these protests was an “ICE Out” protest in downtown Champaign. Hundreds of students from the University of Illinois and Urbana High School gathered for a protest so big that it shut down Green Street.
Social media has been crucial during the fight against ICE, as people are able to share videos and information about plans and protests. Social media gives power to the people, and uses like this are exactly what social media should be for.
Even though the national shutdown that happened on January 30th succeeded in getting the attention of organizations, businesses, and the general public, the fight against ICE is far from over.
On Thursday, January 29th, during an anti-ICE demonstration at Fremont High School in Nebraska, a student was hit by a car with a “Trump 2024” flag on the back of it.
There is a video circulating that shows the driver getting into the SUV, accelerating into the crowd, and hitting the student before speeding away. The student who was hit suffered from minor injuries, and, fortunately, the driver was identified and located by police.
People are still supporting ICE despite the protests against them and the vile acts that they are committing. Their violence is an abuse of power, and we cannot let the system fail Renée Good, Alex Pretti, Keith Porter Jr., and Silverio Villegas González more than it already has.
This was just the beginning, and if you stay silent about what is happening right now, you are almost as bad as the people who commit these heinous crimes.
