Erica Chenoweth

Following the killing of AFGE Member Alex Pretti and the subsequent slanderous rhetoric that followed from top Trump administration officials, AFGE National President Everett Kelley issued the following statement: “Yesterday, AFGE brought together labor and faith leaders from Minneapolis and across the nation to mourn our fallen brother from Local 3669, Alex Pretti. We honored his life and legacy and lifted up his family, his friends, his union, Minneapolis, and our nation in prayer. “Today, we demand accountability. “In the immediate aftermath of Alex’s killing, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem betrayed the public trust by slandering the good name of our union brother and calling him a “domestic terrorist.” Alex Pretti was a patriotic ICU nurse at a VA hospital who devoted his life to serving America’s veterans. That claim was reckless, defamatory, and unsupported by the facts. Noem was preceded in this false statement by Stephen Miller, Deputy White House Chief of Staff, who is also the architect of the chaotic and failed immigration policy in Minnesota. “Our demand is clear: Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was responsible for carrying out the policy that led to Alex’s needless killing, and Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, the architect of that policy, must resign immediately. If they refuse, President Trump must dismiss them.

The American Federation of Government Employees, which represents border patrol officers at the National Border Patrol Council, calls on Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller to resign or be fired

Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers, NBA) Kike Hernandez (Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB) Dwight McGlothern Jr. (Minnesota Vikings, NFL) Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty, WNBA) Quinn Meinerz, (Denver Broncos, NFL) Brody King (AEW – Professional Wrestling) Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks, NBA) Liam McNeeley (Charlotte Hornets, NBA) Adam Page (AEW – Professional Wrestling) Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx, WNBA) Doc Rivers (Milwaukee Bucks – Head Coach, NBA) Guerschon Yabusele (New York Knicks, NBA) Cheryl Reeve (Minnesota Lynx – Head Coach, WNBA) Isaiah Thomas (Former Boston Celtics, NBA; current Salt Lake City Stars, NBA G League) Kelly Pannek (Minnesota Frost, PWHL) Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings, WNBA) A’ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces, WNBA) Taylor Heise (Minnesota Frost, PWHL) Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors – Head Coach, NBA) Spencer Strider (Atlanta Braves, MLB) National Basketball Players Association Natisha Hiedeman (Minnesota Lynx, WNBA) DiJonai Carrington (Minnesota Lynx, WNBA) Unrivaled Basketball League Brianna Turner (Indiana Fever, WNBA) De’Aaron Fox (San Antonio Spurs, NBA) Womens National Basketball Players Association Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors, NBA) Ryan Clark (Former Pittsburgh Steelers, NFL) National Women's Soccer League Players Association

Running list of athletes who have spoken out or taken action amid the Trump-Vance administration spending billions of US tax dollars on masked agents who have racially profiled, beaten, and kidnapped thousands of people — and murdered Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti:

Gregory Bovino Gets Demoted The Border Patrol chief was the public face of a traveling immigration crackdown on cities governed by Democrats.

BREAKING Greg Bovino has been removed as Border Patrol "commander at large" and will return to El Centro Calif, where he is expected to retire soon. A stunning turnaround after Pretti killing. Bovino's traveling blue city crackdown is over www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...

The Minnesota civil resistance campaign has been remarkably successful:

- The GOP governor candidate dropped out
- Numerous DOJ officials resigned
- GOP members of Congress are speaking out; business feels pressure
- Noem has been relieved of operational responsibility

The campaign is winning.

The people of Minnesota have executed one of the most impressive civil resistance campaigns I can remember:

- Organized a city wide general strike
- Maintained nonviolent discipline amidst violence
- Mobilized 10,000s in subzero temps to protest and watch ICE
- Flipped public opinion against ICE

Two weeks ago this guy announced he was providing legal help to the agent who shot Renee Good. That's how quickly the winds are shifting.

Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling on ICE: "They are an undisciplined militia and the leadership is awful...This is not policing and it's not military service. It's something dangerously undefined."

This is a turning point. Nobody wants what we’re seeing in Minnesota.

Speak up. In your workplace, in your community, in any forum you have.

Just emailing friends and coworkers and saying this is wrong is a powerful act. Expressing yourself to others. That is democracy.

Just don’t be silent.

(next to an image of masked ICE agents) NO KINGS MASS CALL EYES ON ICE: DOCUMENT AND RECORD GET THE TOOLS YOU NEED TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHTS AS FEDERAL AGENTS TERRORIZE OUR COMMUNITIES. MONDAY, JANUARY 26 8PM EST / 5PM PST (No Kings logo)

Exercising our constitutional right to document and record ICE and other federal agents is more important than ever. This call will give you the tools to exercise your rights in a moment when federal agents are terrorizing our communities and using excessive force: www.mobilize.us/nokings/even...

Crowd is massive, now overflowing Congress Plaza and taking up a block-long stretch of Michigan Avenue.

Reminder: this event was only announced yesterday.

(For an academic citation of this phenomenon, see McAdam 1982, or this summary: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...).

On the weakness of state terror: once ppl internalize the regime's lawless brutality, that they are no safer in their homes than in the streets (& vice versa), and that their unwavering defiance is what confounds & disempowers the regime, they also realize they have nothing to lose but their fear.

This woman speaks for the majority of Americans. 🙌🙏🫶👇

I wrote the speech I *wish* Chuck Schumer would give tonight - as an actual opposition leader. Here it is:

"My fellow Americans: At this hour, an unrestrained force of militarized and violent federal officers is carrying out a project of ethnic cleansing in the streets of American cities."

1/14

A video of Alex Pretti reading out the final salute of an unnamed veteran he cared for until the end of his life in the ICU, posted to Facebook by his son.

Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti “We are heartbroken but also very angry. Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact. I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.

Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti.

"Please get the truth out about our son."

There’s a rally going on in Boston rn and they’re chanting “we’re not cold, we’re not afraid, MN taught us to be brave!” and I might cry

So important. What they say is not the story. That is never the story. What happened is the story. Write what happened.

Shine a light for Minnesota. Tonight at 7pm CT step outside and light a candle. On our street corners with our neighbors. For out communities and Alex. ICE OUT NOW. Sat Jan 24, 7pm CST

Our recommendation for this evening. Community is everything. ICE OUT NOW!

"They say they're coming to save us from some evil? They're talking about our neighbors who take care of us ... Alex was murdered while he was helping. Mr Rogers said look for the helpers, & right now the helpers have a target on our forehead ... Mr Rogers would be here right now too, so I'm here."

in case you're curious about how angry Minnesota is about ICE, it was -20 today

I will just keep repeating. I have never never never seen anything like this. 30 years of reporting.

Especially this part, to ICE officers: “I would remind them that the greatest Commandment is love thy neighbor. I would remind them of Matthew 25: ‘What you do to the least of these you do unto me.’ And I would remind them that they have agency in this moment, and they can walk away."

So great to see @mariajstephan.bsky.social on @colbertlateshow.bsky.social. First half below, second half here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=96Wv...

YouTube video by The Late Show with Stephen Colbert How Blowing A Whistle Is An Act Of Nonviolent Resistance - Maria J. Stephan

🔥🔥🔥

youtu.be/N7MgLMzsnmE?...

President Roosevelt signing the Social Security Act into law on August 14, 1935, with Perkins among those witnessing the signing (third from right) https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Signing_Of_The_Social_Security_Act.jpg

1/ I recently wrote about Frances Perkins—FDR’s Labor Secretary and first woman cabinet member. She is best known as the architect of the New Deal but she had a lesser-known achievement:

She dismantled her era’s version of ICE.🧵

An email from Martin Peterson to university administrators.

Martin Peterson's creative response to being banned from teaching Plato (shared with his permission).

Cover page of the HOPE guide - "Harnessing our power to end political violence"

If you want to go deep on the theory and strategy, this resource on how to make political violence backfire is informative and practical. static1.squarespace.com/static/666b7...

Kicking off 2026 writing with @chenoweth.bsky.social on global Gen-Z protests.

Young people do *not* like corruption, and Gen-Z protests are destabilizing corrupt governments everywhere. Yet for several reasons, we should temper expectations for durable democratic reforms to emerge in their wake.

Can Gen-Z movements really force democratic transitions? Read "Why Gen-Z Is Rising" by @matthewcebul.bsky.social and @chenoweth.bsky.social to find out.

muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...