Members of the SEIU service workers union in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday (Photo: taylr/X)
Trade unions and anti-racist organisations rallied and marched in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday to demand justice for the victims of Ice violence.
It came as the family of Renee Good, a 37-year-old woman shot dead by Ice agents in the city in January, announced a lawsuit against the US government for killing her.
Some 15 Minneapolis protesters have been charged with conspiracy for resisting the Ice surge and are awaiting trial. Saturday’s protest demanded the charges are dropped.
Todd Dahlstrom is organising director of the Minnesota chapter of the AFL-CIO union federation.
He told Socialist Worker, “Seven of the 15 indicted are union members. They were doing nothing more than what everyone else was doing in Minnesota—protecting their neighbours.”
The charges against the 15 are part of a wave of repression against anti-fascists and the left. In June, eight people were sentenced as “terrorists” to up to one hundred years in prison for their actions at the Prairieland Ice detention centre in Texas.
Todd added, “We are gearing up for the midterm elections in a few weeks. We are concerned that they are going to surge more federal officers into sanctuary cities and states.
“And, we are concerned about how to protect our democracy and make sure every eligible voter has an opportunity to vote and that the surges are not used to prevent that.
“If Donald Trump tries to steal the election or or calls it illegitimate, workers will need to take some sort of action in order to protect our democracy.”
A report last month from the US government accountability office found that Ice and other federal agencies had wasted tens of millions of dollars in their drive to increase detention capacity.
At the same time, ordinary people face growing economic pain linked to Trump’s war on Iran.
Todd said, “Everyone is thinking about the cost of gas, the cost of diesel, the cost of going to the grocery store. These are bread and butter issues for working people. A lot of that is down to this months long war—many folks feel we shouldn’t be there.
“The affordability thing is a huge issue for the general public—and we are hearing about it all the time from union members.”
Trump’s Ice surges saw a push back from some business groups, because sectors such as agriculture rely on migrant labour.
But the White House has resisted—and big business has been cautious because it benefits from the president’s agenda that favours the rich.
Todd said, “In Minneapolis, they weren’t targeting big businesses, they were snatching people off the street. But we are hearing about that happening in Kansas in the beef industry.
“Beef processing is hard and unpleasant work and employs a lot of migrant labour. People are afraid to go to work, so beef is not being processed. And that is driving up the cost. Beef is very expensive, people aren’t able to afford it.”
Trump’s crackdown on activists is designed to stifle resistance and cast ordinary people as violent extremists. But people in Minneapolis are refusing to believe the lies.
The “economic shutdown” of the city in January forced Trump to retreat. While it wasn’t a general strike, workers’ collective action was a strong component alongside businesses shutting down.
Building this sort of action is key to defeating Trump.
As the mid terms approach, the pressure is on to line up behind the Democrats and channel efforts into official politics.
But it’s vital to keep organising resistance to Trump, racism and the cost of living crisis independently.
Reports from anti-racists in Bradford, Croydon and Southampton
Interview with key organiser
Plus: a round-up of unity marches across the country
Around 40 anti-racists confronted Restore Britain campaigners in Camden
