Minnesotans Fight ICE With Snowballs

[Hol]

They are organized riots designed to push the limit right up to the use of deadly force by federal officers. They want physical interactions to try and portray officers as using brutal tactics for public opinion. It is working as you see some republicans softening on the issue. These people are smart, sinister, and manipulative; just like satan. They will eventually win as the Bible warns.

Well funded and trained agitators seek violence. These crowds are not grass roots protesters. They are willing to do anything to attack ICE & obstruct law and order—real agents for chaos.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

And he resisted arrest. He should have been carted off to jail, but there wasn’t much or any local LE support.

State and local law enforcement here have been directed by TPTB to not support or help the Feds involved in immigration enforcement, except for doing stuff like traffic enforcement. This has been going on in some places, including Minnesota and Missouri, since the Obama administration. When I was working In the Saint Louis Metro, the premise was that immigration was a civil matter, like child support, which we did not enforce. If we arrested an illegal/undocumented alien on a criminal or traffic charge, when we were finished with him/her, if he or she had no other outstanding Wants or Warrants, we were to notify Immigration in downtown Saint Louis and release or hold for pick-up per their instructions.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

How do you view these gatherings?

So long as peaceful, on public property, and not interfering with other people's civil rights, they're demonstrations, protests, or vigils. Ditto if on private property with the property owner's permission.
If/when they interfere with other people's rights, even if peaceful, at some point they can become unlawful assemblies and law enforcement has a duty to declare such and ask/tell/order people to disperse and/or move to resolve the conflicting rights.
When they become violent, they become riots.
If someone is resisting arrest, and there's not mob/group violence, it's not a riot.
If someone resists arrest, LE is allowed and trained to use the least force necessary to effect the arrest and prevent injury to officer(s) and the public. I don't know what Federal Agents are permitted to do re use of force in specific situations and circumstances.


People interfering with Federal Agents doing their duties amounts to Interfering with an Arrest, Harboring a Fugitive, Obstruction of Justice, and/or Assault, and they are subject to removal and/or arrest. People peacefully observing, demonstrating, protesting or vigil at a sufficient distance to not interfere with Federal Agents are exerising First Amendment rights. If, however, mob/group violence occurs, it becomes a riot. People, who do not comply with orders to back up, disperse, etc. are subject to removal and/or arrest.

Generally, until or unless outside agitators encourage, cause, or do violence, they have the same First Amendment rights as anyone else (unless already guilty of Conspiracy, RICO, etc.). As soon as they encourage, cause, and/or do violence, they are subject to removal and/or arrest for Inciting a Riot, Disorderly Conduct, Destruction of Property, Arson, Assault, Conspiracy, etc., etc., etc. I found it very encouraging that during the George Floyd riots here, ordinary citizens in neighborhoods turned on outside agitators and kicked them out because they didn't want their neighborhoods destroyed. It's also noteworthy that during the Ferguson Riots in Ferguson, during the first 30 days, the only people arrested weren't even from Missouri (they were outside agitators and people just coming from elsewhere for an excuse to do violence). When local people are allowed to take care of local problems without outside nefarious actors showing up and using the situation as an excuse to advance their agenda(s), things generally go much better.


Minnesota has a long history and tradition of people openly speaking out, demonstrating, protesting, and vigil. The vast majority have been peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights. Whether or not I agree with someone, I will defend his or her First Amendment rights to peaceful observation, demonstration, protest, and vigil. However, if/when such events actually interfere with lawful government operations, LE has a duty to help participants return the event to legitimate exercise of First Amendment rights (i.e., move back, get out of the street, etc.), and failing that, to declare an Unlawful Assembly and order and assist participants to leave peaceably. Note that either/both of these may entail temporary suspension of the current government operations to facilitate LE restoring/keeping order. If/when such events turn violent and become riots, that's not acceptable exercise of any rights, and LE has both responsibility and authority (sworn duty) to stop the violence. Since the U.S. is not a military dictatorship or police state, LE must obey the directives and orders of elected and specific appointed civilian leadership, as well as the law and departmental policies. If said elected officials say stand down, LE must stand down.



When I handled demonstration/protest/vigil incidents in the last jurisdiction where I worked in the St. Louis Metro, I approached whoever appeared to be the leader(s) and politely explained that I had given 20 years of my life to make sure we had Constitutional rights, encouraged people to exercise their First Amendment rights, but while exercising those rights, to not infringe on other people's Fourth Amendment rights, i.e., keep it on public property, don't block the streets, and don't interfere with any businesses. I also reminded people that staying out of the street was a safety issue, that I didn't want anyone to get hurt. Then I relied on those leaders to keep things peaceful. Working with and respecting people as adult human beings instead of doing unto them was essential when seriously outnumbered, people were angry, in the interest of keeping the peace and order, and not hindering or destroying whatever trust could be built. When I was there, these events stayed peaceful in our jurisdiction, including during the timeframe of the Ferguson riots, and during public response to a couple of incidents (unrelated to Ferguson) that happened in our jurisdiction.


Please pray for peace.

 

[Ghoti Ichthus]

More protests/demonstrations here today.
AFAIK, peaceful.
At one location, people spelled out SOS by standing on the ice on one of the lakes in Minneapolis.
Bruce Springsteen and others played at a protest concert

Demonstrators in Minneapolis, across U.S. protest ICE​

By WCCO Staff
Updated on: January 30, 2026 / 5:25 PM CST / CBS Minnesota

"Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Minneapolis on Friday afternoon to demand an end to ICE in Minnesota. It was one of several demonstrations that took place throughout the U.S.
Organizers had called for a nationwide strike — urging Americans to stay home from work, school and abstain from shopping on Friday — in protest against Operation Metro Surge and Immigration and Customs Enforcement action across the United States."

Several related articles in one at the link

Demonstrators in Minneapolis, across U.S. protest ICE

Thousands of protesters marched through downtown Minneapolis on Friday afternoon to demand an end to ICE in Minnesota. It was one of several demonstrations that took place throughout the U.S.

www.cbsnews.com

From the local Fox channel:

Lake Bde Maka Ska gathering creates 'SOS' message made from people

Minnesotans gathered at Bde Maka Ska to form the letters S.O.S. in response to the recent federal agent shootings.

www.fox9.com

Protest concert in Minneapolis draws Bruce Springsteen, Tom Morello to First Ave

Music and activism collided at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis on Friday as Tom Morello and Bruce Springsteen led a powerful protest concert.

www.fox9.com

DHS ‘worst of the worst’ arrests include dozens of offenders recently in federal custody

While the Trump administration repeatedly claims its immigration operations are getting "the worst of the worst off our streets," dozens of offenders listed on the DHS website were already in federal prisons.

www.fox9.com

ICE says it’s illegal to record agents, but is DHS policy actually unlawful?

Several videos posted to social media show ICE agents in Minnesota telling observers to stop recording. Some observers say they've been detained simply for filming. A federal judge recently found DHS has adopted an unlawful policy that suppresses First Amendment rights.

www.fox9.com

Please pray for peace.