A Report From the Ground in Minneapolis

This report from Minneapolis constitutes a 5-alarm fire for all Americans and all who believe in democracy. It is reposted with permission from Crones of Anarchy Facebook activist, who tells us it derives from someone in Minneapolis who has to remain anonymous…and echoes what I am hearing privately from people in Minnesota. I believe every word of this, because I felt the same about Chicago this past fall: it was far worse than we could possibly have communicated anywhere. We must open our eyes and fight this in every way that we can.

She says:

I have had several of you from out of state ask about us, and I will tell you things are FAR WORSE than anything the mainstream media is presenting. There are too many videos to share, and far too many ICE raids, beatings, abductions, and other crimes to even begin to count, let alone have any hope of knowing about, let alone sharing. And, of course, we all know about Renee Good’s brutal murder last week. Everyone I know here is shaken to the core.

…People need to know what is happening–in real terms, not the “balanced” 30-second segments on mainstream media.

I’m writing tonight because, frankly, I don’t know what else to do. A video shared by a close coworker in front of her church yesterday, and more abductions at bus stops today, became the last straw, to be honest. I’m tired and angry, and so is everyone here.

I’m saying these things because we need people outside of the Twin Cities to understand these are NOT a handful of incidents. We are literally under the largest federal occupation of an American city in generations. With over 2000 (some say 2400) ICE agents here and another 1000 on their way, it is a deliberate political targeting of my state. The rest of the country should be watching. This is the testing ground. You don’t want to live this way, I promise you. Fight like hell because they intend to bring this everywhere. [And the Republican Congress has voted billions of dollars to assure they can do so.]

The people and neighborhoods in my city are not abstractions. They are more than scenes that flash across your nightly news or social feed. We LIVE here. We KNOW these people who are being harassed and taken. We KNOW and/or ARE those who are witnessing this violence. One of my coworkers witnessed Renee Good’s murder. I know many people who live in that neighborhood, where ICE is absolutely relentless, including violently abducting multiple people just on that street alone yesterday (and every day).

The notifications for raids and abductions are nonstop–all hours of the day and night. At times, they’re going door to door–lately kicking in the door armed to the teeth, entering illegally without a warrant, and without batting an eye. They are pulling fire alarms in apartment buildings to grab people on their way out of the buildings. They pull over when they see a person of color at a gas station (like yesterday afternoon, a few blocks from here) or a bus stop (like this morning) or walking down the street (every single day) to harass and very often violently abduct them.

These agents aren’t out for any particular person. Don’t buy the LIES about picking up criminals. They just grab whoever they deem non-white. Native Americans have been taken, and many are still missing. They are also abducting white legal observers, including those who offer no confrontation whatsoever. Yesterday, they violently abducted an autistic woman who was just trying to get to a doctor’s appointment on a street they were occupying. They gas legal observers (or any observer) and protestors with tear gas (banned by the Geneva Convention for civilians) and mace and pepper balls. They shoot “non-lethal” ammunition at close range that sends people to the hospital and, in some cases, permanently blinds people. (Yes, they deliberately aim for faces.)

I get so tired of hearing people lecture about what ICE can and cannot do legally. Yes, we all know. The problem is that ICE agents don’t care and do what they want. DHS has told them they have unconditional immunity.

Their raids are everywhere–including places we go regularly: restaurants, gas stations, grocery stores, parks, hospitals, any kind of business or public space you can think of. In many parts of the city, you literally cannot go out without hearing the sirens and whistles. And then the constant helicopters… (Everyone who lives here knows what I mean.) 

This is a long account; much of it we have seen on the news. But I believe it is important to hear the full picture to understand the magnitude of what is happening and take this into account in our prayers and our choices to act in response.

To be continued.

Banner Image: A anonymous poem tucked among flowers and stuffed animals at a Minneapolis memorial for Renee Good. Photo by Ken Fager on Flickr.

Queries for Contemplation

What lessons did you learn from this report from Minneapolis?  How can you assist the resistance and prepare for what is coming next to other cities?

Related Readings by Matthew Fox

Sins of the Spirit, Blessings of the Flesh: Transforming Evil in Soul & Society

Trump & The MAGA Movement as Anti-Christ

Creativity: Where the Divine and the Human Meet

Creation Spirituality: Liberating Gifts for the Peoples of the Earth

A Spirituality Named Compassion: Uniting Mystical Awareness with Social Justice

Original Blessing: A Primer in Creation Spirituality

Occupy Spirituality: A Radical Vision For a New Generation by Adam Bucko and Matthew Fox