‘Today we remember that freedom is not free. We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it.’
These are the words of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, who was gunned down by ICE agents while protesting in Minneapolis this weekend.
Donald Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem labelled Mr Pretti a ‘domestic terrorist’, while Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino suggested he was plotting to ‘massacre law enforcement’.
But he’s since been revealed as an ICU nurse and keen outdoorsman, with no criminal record, who was at the protest because he was outraged to see his neighbors dragged from their homes.
A video of Pretti at work has been shared in the aftermath of his death, showing him reading a touching tribute to a veteran he had as a patient in the Veterans Affairs Medical center in Minneapolis.
Mac Randolph shared a video of the nurses at the Veterans Affairs center, where Pretti worked, and a clip of Pretti himself reading a final salute to his father.
‘May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom,’ Pretti said.
‘In this moment, we remember and give thanks to your dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of our freedom.’
‘RIP Alex Pretti,’ Mac wrote. ‘I never wanted to share this video, but his speech is very on point.
‘My father’s final words to me were to continue to fight the good fight. He would be honoured by Alex’s sacrifice and ashamed of this current administration.’
Pretti’s murder has thrown gasoline on an already fiery situation in Minnesota, where ICE agents have been conducting ‘operations’ for weeks.
The furore began when ICE killed Renee Good, a mother of three, as she was in her vehicle at a protest.
Pretti was shot just over a mile from where an ICE officer killed 37-year-old Good on January 7, sparking widespread protests.
The Minneapolis police chief has appealed for calm, both from the public and from federal law enforcement.
‘Our demand today is for those federal agencies that are operating in our city to do so with the same discipline, humanity and integrity that effective law enforcement in this country demands,’ the chief said.
In Minneapolis, protesters converged at the scene of the shooting in Minneapolis despite dangerously cold weather.
As dark fell, hundreds of people mourned quietly by a growing memorial at the site of the shooting.
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