Washington, DC – Thousands of community members, activists and organizers flocked to Hancock Park on Saturday evening, January 24, to join the rising tide of people around the country denouncing the Minneapolis killing of Alex Pretti.

Families Not Feds, a campaign and coalition that fights for immigrant rights and against federal collaboration, in DC called the action. Organizers announced the protest and vigil mere hours after footage of the murder went viral on social media, and thousands marched – despite bone-chilling temperatures and an incoming snowstorm – to demand justice and an end to ICE.

The march began with chants from the emcees that targeted ICE, Metropolitan Police (MPD), and Trump, among others; with calls of “Chinga la migra!” “Fuck the police” and “Fuck Donald Trump!”

Protesters also expressed their anger with current Mayor Muriel Bowser, who announced her intent to step down from office after the public exposed her lies around ICE and MPD collaboration in addition to her capitulation to Trump’s occupation of DC. Several times, voices boomed in the crowd as attendees united to shout “Bowser, Bowser, you’re a traitor! This term was your last as mayor!” and “Bowser, Bowser, can’t you see? You no longer rep DC!”

After arriving at ICE headquarters, emcee Merawi Gerima of the DC Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (DCAARPR) opened the protest with a powerful statement on the importance of solidarity with the victims of ICE terror in Minneapolis, and connected it to the ongoing fight for justice for Phillip Brown in DC; the victim of an attempted murder by an HSI agent during a traffic stop that MPD covered up.

“If it wasn’t for luck, this could’ve been the exact same situation as Renee Good,” said Gerima, “Phillip Brown had bullet holes in his collar, that’s how close he was to death!”

Ermiya Fanaeian, a member of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization DC, told the crowd, “They expect all of us to fall for the lie that our neighbors are our enemies, and the billionaire war profiteers are our friends; the biggest problem humanity faces are the politicians of America. And make no mistake, you cannot murder our neighbors in broad daylight and insist we don’t call you what you are: the biggest force of terrorism we have ever seen!”

During the noise demonstration, several police officers and ICE employees gathered at the front of the building and protesters quickly spotted them as they hurled insults of “Shame!” and “Fuck ICE!” from across the double-barricades erected by the agency in advance of the protest.

The rally ended with a vigil and moment of silence for Alex Pretti, Renee Good and all victims of federal and police violence. Gerima invited attendees to call out other names of victims; Justin Robinson (murdered by MPD in 2024), Dalaneo Martin (murdered by DC Park Police in 2023), George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and others.

“The names are too many to count, but what’s also too much to count is our power,” Gerima said to attendees, “While we sit here in silence we can hear all their machines. Their cop cars, their helicopters, all the tools of the state that they use to repress us, to keep us in line, to keep us from fighting for each other and for better conditions. But we know that they will never have our numbers. So our mission is simple, unite the many to defeat the few!”

Before dispersing, the co-emcee from Movimiento Migrante DC closed the rally with a chant for their ongoing Families Not Feds campaign, which intends to launch a Peoples Ballot initiative for the upcoming mayoral race.

Follow @dcagainsttrump on Instagram to stay up to date with their struggle to keep DC a sanctuary city and defeat the racist Trump agenda.

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