In response to the murder of a 37 year old woman by ICE agents in Minneapolis, the New Orleans Alliance Against Racism and Political Repression (NOAARPR) is mobilizing an emergency rally at Lafayette Square, today, January 7 at 6 PM. The protest will demand ICE out of New Orleans and justice for the woman who was shot and killed by ICE while observing ICE activity in Minneapolis on the morning of January 7th.
Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem said the victim was engaging in “an act of domestic terrorism.” What video recordings clearly show is a woman trying to drive her car away from the scene while ICE agents shot her multiple times through her windows. The Mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, responded to Noem’s account saying, “Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bulls—.” Frey also said, “To ICE — get the F— out of Minneapolis.” Tonight, demonstrators will call on incoming Mayor Helena Moreno to stand up to ICE and demand the same, before they can murder someone in New Orleans.
ICE agents have been terrorizing residents of the greater New Orleans area for the last month as part of operation ‘Catahoula Crunch.’ The operation has seen 250 border patrol agents deployed to New Orleans with the goal of making 5,000 arrests. What today’s events in Minneapolis show is the deadly consequences of unleashing ICE thugs on our communities for these operations.
The demonstration in Lafayette Square will include speeches from the New Orleans Alliance about the struggle for justice for families’ impacted by police killings in New Orleans and the United States. There will also be representatives there from Students for a Democratic Society, Indivisible New Orleans, New Orleans Stop Helping Israel’s Ports, and other members of the No Troops in New Orleans Coalition.
