Redditors Launch Resistance Against ICE
▼ Summary
– A video of ICE agents fatally shooting Alex Pretti in Minneapolis was widely shared on Reddit, sparking significant online outrage.
– The r/Minneapolis subreddit has become a crucial information hub during the federal deployment of ICE agents to the city.
– Anger against ICE spread across diverse, non-political subreddits, from crafting communities to niche forums, with unified criticism.
– Public opinion has shifted, with support for abolishing ICE rising significantly following recent high-profile killings in Minneapolis.
– A moderator expressed that the situation is seen as a test of authoritarian tactics, causing national concern about ICE’s expanding reach.
A Minneapolis community forum on Reddit has transformed into a critical hub for documenting and resisting what many describe as a brutal federal occupation, following the fatal shooting of a local man by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The incident, captured in a widely-shared video, shows federal agents tackling 37-year-old Alex Pretti to the ground before shooting him multiple times. The footage sparked immediate outrage, propelling the post to the top of the site’s homepage with tens of thousands of upvotes. For residents, the r/Minneapolis subreddit has become an essential real-time news source, shifting from discussions about local parks and lost pets to a grim chronicle of armed patrols and violence.
The moderator of the forum, a volunteer for nearly ten years, notes the sudden and drastic change. “I just wanted a local subreddit to know what was happening in my city, and now all of a sudden, we’ve turned into this de facto hub of information for basically how to fight fascism,” they explained, requesting anonymity due to safety fears. The anger, however, has spread far beyond Minnesota’s borders. Across Reddit’s vast network of specialized communities, a unified message of resistance emerged over the weekend. From cross-stitching and stained glass forums to nail polish and photography groups, users created art and posts bearing anti-ICE slogans, transforming typically apolitical spaces into platforms for protest.
Even in unexpected corners of the website, like a meme-focused football rivalry subreddit, the sentiment was overwhelming. One highly-ranked post declared, “The ruling on the field is that this is a meme football sub. HOWEVER… FUCK ICE and fuck any bootlicker who supports them.” This cross-community mobilization highlights a broad and growing public fury directed at the agency’s actions. The shooting of Pretti followed the earlier killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in January, incidents for which no agents have faced criminal charges.
This surge in online activism coincides with a measurable shift in public opinion. National polling indicates a significant increase in support for abolishing ICE since the start of unprecedented raids in politically liberal cities. Where once only about a quarter of those surveyed supported the idea, recent data shows that figure has jumped to 43 percent. For the Minneapolis moderator, the situation feels like a dangerous precedent. “They’re testing things here,” they warned. “They’re coming for you next.” The digital resistance on Reddit reflects a deepening national concern over the agency’s tactics and a collective fear that the crackdown in one city could soon expand to others.
(Source: Wired)
