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Bearing Witness

The civic action of a handful of Minnesotans is holding Trump accountable

Dan Rather and Team Steady Jan 26

Credit: Getty Images

It was a weekend filled with heartbreaking images. Americans trapped inside by winter weather found themselves transfixed by the traumatic footage of a fellow citizen surrounded, pepper-sprayed, shoved to the ground, and then shot ten times by ICE agents.

The killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents and the many cellphone videos that captured it laid bare a presidential agenda built on intentional cruelty, hate, and lies.

Cellphones held by heroic Minnesotans recorded a reality in stark opposition to the “official” version of events in Minneapolis. Minutes after the killing, the White House blamed Pretti and stood by the outlaws masquerading as law enforcement.

They called the shooting “justified.” Gregory Bovino, Border Patrol Commander-at-Large, labeled the agents “victims.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Pretti “arrived at the scene to inflict maximum damage on individuals and to kill law enforcement.”

She provided zero evidence, before an investigation of any kind (if, in fact, there is one), and before the cellphone videos went viral. Once they did, it didn’t take long for many viewers to deliver an overwhelming verdict: the Trump administration was lying about what happened. Again.

We must commend the courage of those who braved numbing cold, clouds of tear gas, and the threat of thuggery to bring us the truth. As difficult as this may be, please continue doing what you do. Our nation desperately needs you, all of you, to witness and record these perilous moments in our history.

The internet and social media are often maligned for spreading disinformation, negatively impacting mental health, and perpetuating screen addiction and cyberbullying. Amid all the issues with pervasive distraction, in the time of Trump, the technology that lives in our pockets has become one of the most useful tools to combat the administration’s stranglehold on the “truth.”

The modern media ecosystem is constantly and rapidly evolving. The administration has been astute in recognizing that speed is the name of the control-the-narrative game, trying “to define reality before reality could be independently established,” according to Steven Rosenbaum on MediaInsider.

To that end, the public relations office of ICE has morphed into a full-blown propaganda machine, pushing out slickly produced, social media influencer-style videos of agents confronting, chasing, terrorizing, and arresting people, all set to music. The ICE media machine is doing the White House’s bidding of “flooding the airwaves” on the taxpayers’ tab.

But they aren’t the only ones who understand this new-media reality. Thousands of Americans use their camera phones and social media to lead a resistance.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker instructed everyone to “video everything.” Fellow governor Tim Walz of Minnesota echoed this advice.

“Carry your phone with you at all times. And if you see ICE in your neighborhood, take out that phone and hit record. Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans — not just to establish a record for posterity, but to bank evidence for future prosecution,” he said last week.

Taking cellphone videos is the latest form of civil disobedience. New Instagram accounts and YouTube channels have recently popped up to disseminate videos as quickly as possible.

It is not the only example of resistance in Minneapolis. Citizens are helping other citizens who need protection from federal authorities. Community solidarity is the order of the day.

According to a local labor organizer, 65,000 Minnesotans received training in civil protesting. They are patrolling streets, donating food, delivering groceries, and providing legal assistance. What started as a preventative measure has turned into a much-needed service.

And if you ever thought any of this — the occupation of an American city 1,500 miles from the southern border — was about mass deportation or border safety, Attorney General Pam Bondi tipped her hand on Sunday. A leaked memo she wrote to Governor Walz gave him an ultimatum: release Minnesota’s voter information and we will remove ICE from the state. No doubt, another lie.

These videos are the start. They show what happened but not why. We still need context, analysis, and investigation to understand the whole story. And that is the last thing Trump and his enforcers want. They know people will recognize: a) that they lied about what happened, b) what happened was illegal, and c) those responsible will likely not be held accountable.

At this point, let’s remind ourselves that most police and other law enforcement are decent, law-abiding professionals. Many, if not most, are as appalled as the broader public by ICE’s inhumane and unlawful tactics.

Thank you again to those who are keeping watch, despite the elements. Your fearlessness is applauded here and recognized by many across the nation.

Courage.

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Stay Steady,
Dan