Louisiana: Kenner protest demands ‘ICE out for Good,’ conviction of Jonathan Ross
Kenner, LA – On Saturday, January 10, about 150 protesters gathered in North Kenner Recreational Park to oppose ICE’s presence in their communities and to demand the local police end their collaboration with ICE. This protest was also to demand justice for Renee Nicole Good who was killed by ICE justthree3 days before. The protest also demanded justice for Keith Porter and Silverio Gonzalez, who were murdered by ICE agents.
This action was the latest Saturday protest in Kenner, which have been weekly since the beginning of Custom and Border Patrol’s “Catahoula Crunch” operation in early December. Protesters chanted “Landry hear us loud and clear, immigrants are welcome here.”
“Trump’s office is claiming that Renee Good is the domestic terrorist in this situation, for standing up for her community members,” said Vonne Crandell, a cochair of the New Orleans chapter of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. “We know that ICE are the terrorists, that the National Guard are the terrorists. They have been reigning terror in our community, trying to kidnap and kill people off these streets.”
Protesters marched down Martinique Avenue to West Esplanade, continuing onto Williams Boulevard to rally again in front of the Burlington shopping strip chanting “Free our city, tell me how? ICE out of Kenner now!”
Toni Mar, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke about the news the night before the action. They described a FOX livestream showing thousands in Minneapolis taking the street, while Trump held a private meeting with oil executives to talk about Venezuela.
Mar stated, “That split screen tells us everything we need to know, there are two sides to this equation. On the one side we have Trump and the billionaires and the ruling class and on the other side we have the masses of people who actually make this country move. They do not care about us, we have to make this country ungovernable and make them care!”
Protesters chanted for hours on the sidewalk to show their solidarity with the immigrant community and make it known that the people will continue to protect each other in the coming weeks, months, and years, as the Trump administration’s crackdown on the working class and oppressed peoples continues.
As hours passed, protesters chanted “Johnathan Ross is a killer cop! We want justice, lock him up!” and “No more deportations, stop the family separations!”