Rally Poster (Credit: instagram.com/p/DT6oUMljU6O/)
On Sunday, Jan. 25 at 5 p.m., some community members and local organizations in the Lowcountry will gather for a protest in response to the fatal shooting of a civilian Saturday morning by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Minneapolis.
The "Justice for Alex Pretti Emergency Protest" will take place at Marion Square in downtown Charleston, with multiple organizations participating including the Charleston chapters of the Community Services Organization, Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), Democratic Socialists of America, Students for a Democratic Society (CofC), Indivisible Summerville, Lowcountry Action Committee, Charleston Climate Coalition, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL).
On Saturday morning, Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and nurse, was filming ICE agents when he was tackled, struck with a pistol, and then shot multiple times by federal officers in the street. Like the recent killing of Renee Nicole Good, the incident was captured on camera by multiple witnesses.
Local protest organizers say these groups will "continue to unite and stand in solidarity with the Lowcountry community against the ongoing violence being perpetrated against immigrant families."
The event will include speeches from local organizers and community members.
“Our kids are going to ask us what we were doing at this moment in history. If you’re wondering if now is the time to get involved, take action, stand with us and the millions of other people all over the country who know this isn’t right – now is the time” said Alfred Peeler, organizer with Charleston FRSO.