"I knew they would come here. If you're a president hell-bent on retreading 2020 and retaliating against your enemies, the midwestern state that started the George Floyd protests, with a generous social safety net and diverse population, governed by a vice-presidential candidate you vehemently hate, is a certain target. But I don't think most people thought it would look quite this bad, quite this fast, for quite this many people. I don't think we could have fathomed what 3,000 agents would look like in a smaller city the relentlessness of their presence or the level of violence they intended to bring. And, I don't think the Trump administration realized just how much the people of Minnesota would not stand for it. Or how the rest of the world, viewing repeated video footage of agents' brutality as they killed two US citizens, would cheer the people on."
"This state has been hit with tragedy after tragedy in the past year: the targeted killing of a state lawmaker and her husband, a shooting at a Catholic school and, now, the deaths of two Minnesotans, Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, at the hands of federal agents, and the swift detentions and deportations of likely thousands of people, many without criminal records."
Massive federal agent deployments occurred in Minnesota, with roughly 3,000 officers operating in a smaller city and employing sustained, forceful tactics. The operations allegedly led to the deaths of two Minnesota residents and the rapid detention and deportation of likely thousands, many reportedly without criminal records. The interventions were perceived as politically motivated retribution tied to partisan conflicts and the state's role in earlier protests. The community mounted strong resistance and solidarity in response. The state also faced other recent tragedies, including the targeted killing of a state lawmaker and a school shooting, while videos of agent actions drew national and international attention and calls for a tactical pause.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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