US cities see protests after Minneapolis shooting
Protests persisted in Minneapolis and several U.S. cities on Sunday following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old intensive care nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents during an enforcement operation in Minneapolis.
Demonstrations intensified as crowds voiced outrage over the latest use of force by federal officers, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz described the situation as an “inflection point” for the nation and reiterated his demand that U.S. President Donald Trump withdraw federal immigration agents from the city amid mounting tensions between state and federal authorities.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that Pretti was shot on Saturday because he was “brandishing” a gun and posed a threat to officers during the confrontation. Federal officials have defended the actions of the agents involved.
Local authorities and eyewitnesses have disputed the federal account, saying video footage shows Pretti holding a phone rather than a weapon before he was shot, and that his legally owned firearm was removed prior to the fatal shots. Critics argue this contradicts the claim that he was armed and threatening when he was killed.
President Trump has indicated he might be open to eventually removing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from the Minneapolis area, but has not provided specifics on a timeline for such a withdrawal.
"At some point we will leave. We've done, they've done a phenomenal job," he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Sunday.
Multiple vigils were held for Pretti in Minneapolis over the weekend. He is the second person to be fatally shot in the city during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement crackdown this month.
Lifelong resident Pege Miller, 69, was among those who gathered on Sunday afternoon to pay her respects and protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE).
"I'm tired of protesting," she told the BBC. "We can't comprehend how this is happening. Why are we letting this happen?"
Demonstrators of all ages were chanting "No more Minnesota nice - Minneapolis on strike" and "ICE out now" before they began moving through the city streets.
"This is not the America I fought for," said one man the BBC spoke to, who asked not to be named.
Protests have spread to other US cities, including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
The chief executives of more than 60 Minnesota-based businesses, including 3M, Best Buy and Target have also signed an open letter calling for "an immediate de-escalation of tensions" and for local and federal officials "to work together to find real solutions".
By Nijat Babayev
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