John Abernathy

John Abernathy

@john-abernathy.bsky.social

Independent Documentary Photographer Bearing witness without permission. No badge. No distance. 📍Minneapolis https://linktr.ee/john_abernathy_

17,223 Followers 6 Following 41 Posts Joined Feb 2025
3 weeks ago
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February 14 is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Remembrance Day.

Community members gathered in Minneapolis to honor these relatives and bring attention to the ongoing crisis of violence and unresolved cases affecting Indigenous communities.

2.15.2026
📍 Minneapolis

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3 weeks ago
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February 14 is Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives (MMIR) Remembrance Day.

Community members gathered in Minneapolis to honor these relatives and bring attention to the ongoing crisis of violence and unresolved cases affecting Indigenous communities.

2.15.2026
📍 Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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At Powderhorn Park, Native American community members gathered to honor the life of Renee Good — through ceremony, art, music, and shared remembrance.

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2.7.2026
📍 Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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At Powderhorn Park, Native American community members gathered to honor the life of Renee Good — through ceremony, art, music, and shared remembrance.

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2.7.2026
📍 Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Minnesotans, of all ages and backgrounds, protest outside of the Governor’s Mansion in St. Paul demanding justice for Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Letting Walz know “MN won’t sell out for ICE”.

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2.6.2026
📍St. Paul

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1 month ago
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Minnesotans, of all ages and backgrounds, protest outside of the Governor’s Mansion in St. Paul demanding justice for Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Letting Walz know “MN won’t sell out for ICE”.

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2.6.2026
📍St. Paul

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1 month ago
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Drum protest in downtown Minneapolis organized by the Twin Cities Drum Collective.

Another form of resistance as people continue to protest ICE and federal enforcement in the city.

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2.2.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Drum protest in downtown Minneapolis organized by the Twin Cities Drum Collective.

Another form of resistance as people continue to protest ICE and federal enforcement in the city.

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2.2.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Scenes outside of the Whipple Federal building in Minneapolis.

Originally designed for short-term holding, detainee and U.S. representative reports indicate that cells have become heavily overcrowded, “horrifying”, and “inhumane”.

1.30.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Scenes outside of the Whipple Federal building in Minneapolis.

Originally designed for short-term holding, detainee and U.S. representative reports indicate that cells have become heavily overcrowded, “horrifying”, and “inhumane”.

1.30.2026
📍Minneapolis

87 22 1 0
1 month ago
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January 31 in the streets of Minneapolis.

One week since Alex Pretti was k*lled by federal agents and thousands gathered across the city. March at Bryant Square. Peaceful sit-in at Target downtown demanding accountability. Growing memorial at the site of the shooting.

1.31.2026
📍 Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Tens of thousands of people marched through Minneapolis in the second general strike.

Protesters braved sub-zero cold and extended walkouts to demand ICE be held accountable and removed from Minnesota. Demonstrations and shutdowns took place in multiple cities nationwide.

1.30.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
Preview
“Ha sido muy extraño fotografiar escenas de guerra y volver a mi propia casa a cenar y dormir” Periodismo libre y de servicio público. Contexto y acción. Suscríbete y defiende la prensa independiente

“Ha sido muy extraño fotografiar escenas de guerra y volver a mi propia casa a cenar y dormir”
ctxt.es/es/20260101/...

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1 month ago
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After the anti-ICE rally at the Minnesota State Capitol organized by CAIR, organizers gathered to pray and share a meal at a local Somali restaurant.

When the crowds leave, the work continues. Minnesotans are still here, still organizing, still pushing forward to get ICE out.

1.27.2026
📍St. Paul

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1 month ago
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More frames from clashes near 26th & Nicollet following the k*lling of Minneapolis resident and VA intensive care Nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti involving federal agents.

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1.24.2026
📍South Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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More frames from clashes near 26th & Nicollet following the k*lling of Minneapolis resident and VA intensive care Nurse Alex Jeffrey Pretti involving federal agents.

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1.24.2026
📍South Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Near 26th & Nicollet, clashes erupted following the k*lling of Alex Jeffrey Pretti involving federal agents.

Tear gas and other non-lethal munitions were deployed. People were detained as smoke filled the streets.

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1.24.2026
📍South Minneapolis

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1 month ago
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Near 26th & Nicollet, clashes erupted following the k*lling of Alex Jeffrey Pretti involving federal agents.

Tear gas and other non-lethal munitions were deployed. People were detained as smoke filled the streets.

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1.24.2026
📍South Minneapolis

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1 month ago

UPDATE: The exact composition of the smoke has not been publicly confirmed. Some observers identify it as signaling smoke; others raise concerns of it being HC smoke.

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1 month ago

MPR news, Startribune, NY Times etc. is actively sharing this information.

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Federal agents in tactical gear advance through green chemical smoke as a protester lies on the ground between parked cars on a residential street in South Minneapolis. Civilians walk through lingering smoke along a snowy alleyway as the chemical haze fills the air in South Minneapolis. A line of federal agents moves forward while thick green & white gas disperses across the pavement, partially obscuring protesters and nearby vehicles. A civilian lies on the ground in front of them.

Federal agents deployed military-grade hexachloroethane smoke on civilians near 26th and Nicollet in south Minneapolis today.

HC is a military smoke agent, distinct designed for war.

This occurred just hours after Alex Pretti was m*rdered by ICE agents nearby.

1.24.2026
📍 South Minneapolis

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1 month ago

Which is what drew me to take the photo. And very quickly yelled at by security.

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1 month ago

thank you Ger

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1 month ago

This is inside the Warren E. Burger Federal Building, St. Paul.

The courthouse was put on lockdown. Everyone was ordered out. We were told more information might be coming, but no one was allowed to stay to hear it.

Supporters have been told the defendants do not have access to their lawyers.

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1 month ago
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Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Allen, Monique Doty, and Will Kelly were arrested by federal authorities today for the Cities Church protest.

The Pastor, David Easterwood is also serving as an ICE field office director.

No one has been released.

1.22.26
📍St. Paul

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1 month ago
A clash of anti-ICE protestors and border patrol police A clash of anti-ICE protestors and border patrol police. Protestors are pushed by the agents into the snow. A female protestor dressed as a clown holds a sign “Assholes go home”.

2/2 January 15, outside the Whipple Federal building. The photos leading up to when I was detained.

1.15.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
A clash of anti-ICE protestors and border patrol police Right-wing agitators raise the American flag and use a megaphone to provoke protestors U.S Customs and Border patrol police stand their grown as they face off protestors

1/2 January 15 outside the Whipple Federal Building. The photos leading up to when I was detained.

Non-lethal munitions were fired and tear-gas deployed. People were shoved, tackled, and pepper sprayed.
Right-wing agitators were also present, largely left untouched.

1.15.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
Preview
‘The World Needs To See It’: The Moment A Photographer Saved A Camera From ICE John Abernathy was tackled by federal agents in Minneapolis and threw his Leica to safety.

Speaking with HuffPost following January 15, Minneapolis.

www.huffpost.com/entry/john-a...

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1 month ago
Man known as @dawokefarmer raises the American flag upside down. Right-wing agitator raises the American flag as ICE agents and border patrol police stand behind him outside of the Whipple Federal Building entrance. Agents and protestors clash as the American flag divides the crowd.

The American flag was present throughout. Moving through different hands and different meanings as the situation shifted. Present in the escalation, the resistance, and the enforcement.

There was no single version of this moment.

1.15.2026
📍Minneapolis

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1 month ago
Man known as @dawokefarmer raises the American flag upside down while standing infront of a line of border patrol police. Two right-wing agitators both hold the American flag, attempting to rile the crowd. The American flag flies above signs reading “Inflict Chaos Everywhere” and “Trump is a Traitor”. Protestors and agents stand off as the American flag remains upside down.

The symbol stays the same. The context does not.

These are the photos leading up to when I was detained on January 15th. Protests continued as ICE activity brought people outside of Whipple Federal Building. Demonstrators gathered while agents forced their way in the crowd as tensions escalated.

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