When “Operation Metro Surge” flooded the Twin Cities with 3600+ ICE and Border Patrol agents last December, tens of thousands of Minneapolis-St. Paul residents confronted the law-breaking Federal agents with rapid response networks, protests, mutual aid and a huge city-wide one-day general strike.
This massive working class response forced the Chamber of Commerce to call on Trump to de-escalate. Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino were fired and thousands of ICE and BP agents were forced to leave the state.
While our side forced the Federal government to retreat, it came at a heavy price. Two rapid responders, Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good, were murdered by ICE agents. At least 3789 had been arrested and as we write this, ICE has regrouped and its mass persecution continues.
Compensating for their humiliating defeat, in June the Feds retaliated by charging the “Minnesota 15”—half of them union members—with “conspiracy to obstruct or injure” federal agents, even though no federal agents claimed injuries resulting from the 15’s actions.
The MN15 are being targeted for the same acts of solidarity that many thousands of their fellow Minnesotans were doing, as many thousands here in Chicago did during “Operation Midway Blitz.”
The newly-formed “Minnesota 15 Defense Committee – Chicago” invites you to meet two of the Minnesota 15 defendants in person to hear their stories, build solidarity, and defend against creeping authoritarianism. Please join MN15 defendants Isaac Sant and Callum “Cal” Robinet at 6:30 pm, Thursday, October 1st at Chicago’s Haymarket House, 800 W. Buena Ave. Civil rights champion Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez will emcee the event.
CCAWR is among the 18 and counting Chicago Area groups endorsing this event.
If your group would like to endorse the Oct. 1 event, please contact us at MN15DefenseChicago@proton.me
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