About 40 demonstrators gathered at City Hall Wednesday evening to protest the death of Renee Good, the 37-year-old Minneapolis woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in an incident that’s sparked national outrage.
During the demonstration organized by the San Antonio chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, activists emphasized that grassroots efforts to deter what they say is illegal immigration enforcement are more vital now than ever.
“That’s why we organize and talk to each other,” said PSL organizer Corrie Rosen, who works as a public school teacher. “We are the people that need to organize together, the people who are going to make a difference, and we’re the people that are going to take the power back.”
The demonstration also featured a small, candle-lit memorial in honour of Good, where attendees left handwritten messages of hope.
During a Wednesday afternoon press conference, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem described Good, who’s a U.S. citizen, as a domestic terrorist who intentionally tried to run over an ICE agent following an immigration raid in suburban Minneapolis.
However, Good’s mother, Donna Ganger, disputes those claims, telling the Minnesota Star Tribune that it is unlikely that her daughter was part of a protest.
“Renee was one of the kindest people I’ve ever known,” Ganger told the newspaper. “She was extremely compassionate. She’s taken care of people all her life. She was loving, forgiving and affectionate. She was an amazing human being.”
Video taken at the scene and widely shared online has also raised questions about the veracity of Noem’s claims.
Good’s slaying has sparked national outcry and protests in other cities. On Thursday morning, roughly 1,000 protesters gathered outside a federal building in Minneapolis where an immigration court is housed, chanting “shame” and “murder” at masked federal officers, Reuters reports. Some agents reportedly used tear gas and pepper balls on demonstrators.
Some San Antonio elected officials have issued condemnations of the shooting and the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement sweeps.
In a Facebook post, progressive District 5 San Antonio Councilwoman Teri Castillo described Good’s slaying as “murder” and “state violence.”
“Across this country, we demand accountability and justice, and we join the Mayor of Minneapolis in calling for the removal of ICE from Minneapolis and from every community,” Castillo added.
Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, said during an interview with broadcaster Mehdi Hasan that he’s “shocked” ICE would “shoot somebody in cold blood.”
“[Trump] has turned ICE into a completely rogue organization,” Castro said.
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