Fascist state forces murdering white unarmed civilians in the U.S. shouldn’t be seen as a rupture of its policy but only a continuation.
At the same time, it should absolutely be fought with all available resources.
On January 24, one day after the general strike in Minnesota against ICE agents in the state, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was killed by ICE agents. They first falsely claimed he had a gun, but video evidence shows he was only holding a phone.
What we were reminded about with the recent killing of Renée Good on January 7, masked state agents are not only kidnapping people off the streets but murdering them, too (including over 30 people killed in ICE detention in 2025). Her death and the call for justice galvanised the country, contributing to, if not resulting in, the above-mentioned strike and widespread protests.
Now, after the killing of Alex Pretti, two things cannot be clearer.
One, it is both the scale of violence and who that violence affects. In short, it doesn’t seem to be sparing anyone. It is not just about the safety of brown, poor, or immigrant communities. The daily excessive use of force, including lethal force, is not sparing anyone. Suddenly, your class cannot protect you, your skin colour cannot protect you, and your legal status in the country cannot protect you. The protection is not absolute, at least.
Two, as it is not sparing anyone inside the country, we have to remember it hasn’t spared any region historically. And although it wouldn’t be unreasonable to expect state forces to show some restraint when using force in countries where at least some of their democratic mechanisms still work, this expectation seems less and less realistic in the U.S.
As masked agents who are literally trained by the Israeli military are unleashing lethal violence on unarmed protestors, it cannot be more obvious that those restraints, if ever truly in place, have disintegrated. Here, another reminder appears:
If someone thinks that those who actively and knowingly supported the mass murder of over 20,000 children in Palestine care about human lives at home, it is high time to drop that assumption.
And as the people of Minnesota have shown us, it is time for concrete, unapologetic action. Now and always, we have to stand in solidarity with those fighting fascism. In Palestine, anywhere you happen to live, or in the U.S.
To support my work, please consider donating to my and Mahmoud’s fundraiser here ❤️
As always, stay strong, check on others, and keep your heart open.
❤️💔❤️
Justina
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