by Shawn Nowlin
The death of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, on January 7 has sparked nationwide outrage.
Behind the wheel when ICE agents attempted to open her car door, while officials claimed the Minneapolis officer followed training to protect himself, different video angles from the scene have left many wondering how the use of deadly force can be justified.
In both small towns and major cities across the country, the “Ice Out for Good” demonstrations took place.
“We will meet ICE’s violence with steadfast nonviolence,” the coalition stated. “Our goal is to strengthen our neighborhood response systems and build public pressure on elected officials to protect our residents from federal overreach.”
At Elmwood Park last Sunday, protestors of various ages and ethnicities gathered to oppose the Trump administration, including its immigration crackdown policies.
Signs held read “Ice Melts Under Resistance” and “Hate Will Not Make Us Great,” among other things. Vehicles honked in solidarity as they drove by the demonstration, even as snow flurries occurred.
One of the protestors was Amanda Vonghakdy, a Roanoke immigrant whose father was taken into ICE custody. “Every morning, I ask myself if this is real. My family and I know that he is alive, but are grieving because he cannot be touched. Donald Trump is the worst President of my lifetime,” Vonghakdy explained.
She added, “I’m worried because there is a real chance that he will never come to America again. I’ve never understood how so many people could watch someone do something so wrong but do nothing about it.”
Other individuals honored after losing their lives to violence and persecution include: Silverio Villegas-Gonzalez, Carlos Jimenez, Marie Ange Blaise, Johnny Noviello and Chaofeng Ge.
“We are outraged and heartbroken,” said Dan O’Donnell, retired Roanoke County Administrator and local organizer with Roanoke Indivisible. “Renee’s death is not an isolated incident; it is the predictable result of ICE’s escalating deployments and an abuse of power that has left our neighbors fearing for their lives. We are gathering to say that ICE has no place in our communities.”
It should come as no surprise that when Roanoke Branch NAACP President Brenda Hale began to address all in attendance, she was met with much applause.
“We are not going to tolerate this anymore. We can’t wait until we have all the individuals in place. This morally bankrupt individual is going to be hit with peace. I am going to take my 80-year-old self, and register as many people as I can,” she said. “It shouldn’t take that much courage to do the right thing.”
