Protests Erupt Across US Seeking “Justice for Renee”

Protests erupted across various cities in the USA over the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good, a mother of three, on Wednesday morning by ICE officers in Minneapolis.

On Saturday, the protesters raised slogans against US President Donald Trump and his immigration enforcement actions in cities across the US. While Good was killed, two other people were injured during shooting by immigration officers in Oregon.

The White House officials defended the agents’ actions, saying the officers used the firearms in self-defense, but several Democrat leaders have fumed at the administration for its militarized deployment of immigration authorities.

They said they would move for impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for shooting dead Renee Good. Noem alleged that Good was part of a group stalking ICE agents and that she was committing an act of “domestic terrorism”.

As many as 1,000 protests were planned for Saturday and Sunday in several places across the country in response to Trump defending the ICE officer and  saying officers are trying to ‘Make America Safe’. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said protests were staged since the officer killed Good. Many of them were peaceful with a stray incidents of property damage. The protesters held placards reading “Justice for Renee”.

In Washington DC, protesters gathered at the White House and raised “OCE must go now, Trump must go now” slogans. In Los Angeles, traffic was disrupted for a few hours as protesters blocked the route. Protests and marches were held in Indianapolis, Des Moines, Iowa; Coachella, California; Eugene, Oregon; and Marion, Ohio, apart from many other places.

Good was shot dead by Jonathan Ross, ICE removal officer based in Minnesota. Noem said Good “weaponised” her SUV to run over Ross in an act of “domestic terrorism”.

Good’s family and supporterts said she was turning her car away from Ross but not towards him. On Jan 8, Venezuelan nationals Luis David Nico Moncado and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras were shot in Oregon.