Tensions Boil Over in Minneapolis as Protesters Demand Justice for Woman Killed by ICE Officer
In the aftermath of a deadly shooting that left a 37-year-old woman dead, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Thursday, fueled by anger and frustration. The killing, which occurred during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in a south Minneapolis neighborhood, has sparked nationwide protests, including in New York, Miami, and Detroit.
As CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman reported from the scene, federal officers fired pepper balls into the crowd, triggering shoving, panic, and screams among the protesters. The scene was chaotic, with some protesters refusing to disperse, sitting in the roadway and even being dragged along the pavement by officers.
The killing of Renee Good has reignited a sense of unease in the community, with many residents feeling that their safety is at risk due to the presence of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area. "Everybody is staying home because this is a big community with lots of different families and people can't go to work, kids can't go to school because they are terrorizing people," said Trish, a local resident.
While some protesters, including first-time demonstrators like Patrick, were more measured in their criticism of ICE. "I am ashamed of ICE," Patrick said. "I would say that it has been building - the rhetoric with the governor and the president and Kristi Noem - it has just been building, for sure. I would say it has tipped over."
The confrontation between protesters and federal officers turned violent when Border Patrol agents fired pepper balls at close range, prompting some to retaliate with snowballs. The situation escalated further when someone threw a snowball, prompting officers to surge forward and deploy stun grenades. At one point, the agents found themselves surrounded before breaking through the crowd and retreating to the building.
As the day wore on, many protesters reflected on the need for peaceful dialogue and the importance of exercising their right to free speech. "I really hope that both sides of us can be peaceful and not resort to this intimidation stuff," Patrick said. "As an American, I have a right to protest."
The Department of Homeland Security has thus far declined to comment on the situation.
In the aftermath of a deadly shooting that left a 37-year-old woman dead, hundreds of protesters gathered outside the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis on Thursday, fueled by anger and frustration. The killing, which occurred during an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in a south Minneapolis neighborhood, has sparked nationwide protests, including in New York, Miami, and Detroit.
As CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman reported from the scene, federal officers fired pepper balls into the crowd, triggering shoving, panic, and screams among the protesters. The scene was chaotic, with some protesters refusing to disperse, sitting in the roadway and even being dragged along the pavement by officers.
The killing of Renee Good has reignited a sense of unease in the community, with many residents feeling that their safety is at risk due to the presence of 2,000 federal law enforcement members in the Twin Cities metro area. "Everybody is staying home because this is a big community with lots of different families and people can't go to work, kids can't go to school because they are terrorizing people," said Trish, a local resident.
While some protesters, including first-time demonstrators like Patrick, were more measured in their criticism of ICE. "I am ashamed of ICE," Patrick said. "I would say that it has been building - the rhetoric with the governor and the president and Kristi Noem - it has just been building, for sure. I would say it has tipped over."
The confrontation between protesters and federal officers turned violent when Border Patrol agents fired pepper balls at close range, prompting some to retaliate with snowballs. The situation escalated further when someone threw a snowball, prompting officers to surge forward and deploy stun grenades. At one point, the agents found themselves surrounded before breaking through the crowd and retreating to the building.
As the day wore on, many protesters reflected on the need for peaceful dialogue and the importance of exercising their right to free speech. "I really hope that both sides of us can be peaceful and not resort to this intimidation stuff," Patrick said. "As an American, I have a right to protest."
The Department of Homeland Security has thus far declined to comment on the situation.
my heart is literally breaking for Renee Good's family, like what even is happening with ICE?! They're just taking lives left and right without so much as a second thought 
. And now Minneapolis is literally being held hostage by 2k federal law enforcement members? It's like they're more of a threat to our safety than the people they're supposed to be protecting 
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. We need to find a way to talk about these issues without resorting to intimidation tactics or physical altercations 
. I mean, come on, Patrick is right - we do have the right to free speech and peaceful protest. Let's use that right to actually make some change instead of just being angry and frustrated 
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. We need to be having these conversations and working towards real solutions, not just reacting to situations with anger and violence 
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I feel for the family of that woman who got killed, no doubt they're devastated. But at the same time, I get why people are upset - it seems like the system can be pretty unfair sometimes.
like what if u were in their shoes having 2k ppl chasing u down every day? anyway this killing thing is super sad rn...ive been hearing a lot about it on twitter but i still dont really understand whats going on 
also, why are there so many people in the usa with guns? its crazy to me how some ppl can just carry them around like theyre not even a big deal 
The fact that people are saying "we're staying home because of this" is just worrying - what's going to happen when we isolate ourselves like this? We'll just be more divided and less likely to find common ground, you know? 
but can't they just calm down for one sec? all this chaos is just gonna escalate things. and snowballs? come on! who throws a snowball at someone trying to do their job? that's just not cool 
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I'm worried about what's happening in Minneapolis right now... 
That's not how you resolve a protest, fam! 
. And what's with the pepper balls? That's just excessive force if you ask me. Can't they just talk it out peacefully instead of resorting to violence? It's scary for all the families in that community who are worried about their safety 
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the fact that some protesters were getting pepper balls fired at them is just crazy - what if someone gets seriously hurt?! 
and yeah, it's not cool when law enforcement uses excessive force... i feel bad for the woman who died and her family 
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. It's like, hello, we're all human beings here, not just immigrants or criminals 
. And now you've got a whole city on edge because of it 
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. And can we please just talk about this stuff in a respectful way? No more demonizing certain groups or ideologies 
. Can't we just have a calm conversation about how to fix things? 
! One minute you're chillin', next thing you know pepper balls are flyin' everywhere 
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. We can disagree without bein' all aggressive and whatnot 
. The Department of Homeland Security should totes comment on the situation, but I guess they're just chillin', not makin' a peep 
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, and peaceful protests that don't involve snowball fights 
. Let's do this, Minneapolis!