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ICE Out march in downtown Minneapolis
A large crowd of people marched to Target Center in Minneapolis on Friday as part of an ICE Out of Minnesota rally.
(FOX 9) - One week after more than 10,000 people marched through the streets of downtown Minneapolis to the Target Center for a rally to demand ICE operations cease in Minnesota, a second "National Day of Action" is planned to compel people to avoid shopping, school and work in solidarity after the shooting of Alex Pretti one day after the first march.
National Day of Action
What we know:
A "National Days of Action in Solidarity" with Minnesota has been planned for both Jan. 30 and 31.
On Friday, those who are participating are encouraged not to attend work or school, while also abstaining from any shopping.
"The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country – to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN," says materials circulated by NationalShutdown.us and the 50501 Movement.
The following day, people are encouraged to "hit the streets and make our voices heard," though no specific march has yet been organized by either group.
What they're saying:
"The entire country is shocked and outraged at the brutal killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents. While Trump and other right-wing politicians are slandering them as ‘terrorists’ the video evidence makes it clear beyond all doubt: they were gunned down in broad daylight simply for exercising their First Amendment right to protest mass deportation," a statement by National Shutdown says. "Every day, ICE, Border Patrol and other enforcers of Trump’s racist agenda are going into our communities to kidnap our neighbors and sow fear. It is time for us to all stand up together in a nationwide shutdown and say enough is enough."
Minnesota ICE protests
The backstory:
On Jan. 23, a general strike protesting ICE occurred across the Twin Cities, with business closures and a march and rally in downtown Minneapolis culminating at the Target Center.
This is a "statewide day of non-violent moral action, reflection" where people are asked to not go to work, not go to school and don't go shopping. Instead, they will only participate in "community, conscience, and collective action," Indivisible Twin Cities said of the event.
Dig deeper:
Unlike typical strikes, a general strike involves workers across multiple sectors simultaneously pausing their work in order to halt economic activity, with the goal of significant social, political, or economic changes.
Prior to Jan. 23, Minnesota's last major general strike was in 1934, when a Teamsters-led labor action shut down Minneapolis's trucking industry. Workers demanding union recognition and better conditions escalated the dispute into a citywide shutdown.
That strike lasted for nearly the entire summer, after it came on the heels of what is known as "Bloody Friday," when police shot at picketers, killing two strikers and injuring nearly 70 more.
According to the Minnesota Historical Society, instead of a one-day strike, this strike went on for about two months, but did eventually succeed with a Citizens Alliance business group and some significant union gains.
At the same time, local businesses are reporting a desperate need for support as immigration enforcement has put a strain on their labor force.