News / protest
Protest held against actions of ICE
As a pair of masked men played Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice from a speaker nearby, around 50 people took part in a rally against the actions of ICE in the US state of Minnesota.
The “emergency solidarity protest” in Bristol came two days after an Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot dead 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis.
The gathering next to the Cascade Steps on Monday evening was organised by Stand Up To Racism, saying “no to ICE, no to Trump and no to the far right”.
Speaking at the rally, Jack from Stand Up To Racism called Pretti’s death a “state-sanctioned execution”.
He said: “Masked men are indiscriminately terrorising working class Americans in what is a barbaric decent towards fascism…
“Whilst they drive towards war, commit genocides, oppress the most vulnerable people and exploit the masses, we build up the forces of resistance.
“Here in Bristol, the forces of the far right have attacked people on the street, tried to intimidate refugees in hotels, and have erected flags of colonialism and imperialism across the city.
“We have opposed them at every turn.”
Masked counter-protesters attempted to disrupt the anti-racist rally – photo: Rob Browne
Another speaker, US citizen Penelope, said she has been “shocked and traumatised” by what she has witnessed.
She said: “It is coming and it is arriving in the UK; you can see what the government is doing to make their own version of ICE.
“It’s super important to organise, to read and to educate yourselves.
“Politics isn’t about the study of history. It’s about what is affecting you through policies so please keep up with those things…
“The UK government is complicit with what’s happening in Palestine and in the US, and we need to hold the government accountable for the atrocities that they are committing.”
Around 50 people attended the protest at the Cascade Steps – photo; Rob Browne
Main photo: Rob Browne
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