Readers Write: Protests, right and wrong

Opinion editor’s note: Strib Voices publishes letters from readers online and in print each day. To contribute, click here.

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Prior to this spring, I had never attended a political rally or protest. While I’ve had sympathy for various political causes over the years, I never saw myself as a “protest person,” never felt like my presence was necessary, never felt like I was informed enough to handle the level of engagement I thought a protest required. (And on a more personal level, I have a bit of an allergy to being around too many people who agree with me — after all, wasn’t it Groucho Marx who quipped, “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member”?)

At any rate, this reluctance to participate changed when the Trump administration summarily deported 200-plus Venezuelan nationals (some of whom had entered the country legally and had not violated immigration law) to serve indefinite sentences in a foreign prison. On very loose evidence. Without any opportunity to challenge that evidence in front of a judge. All while the administration repeatedly claimed that even when they make a mistake (which they did), they had no obligation to provide legal recourse to the injured party.

Since that time, I have attended multiple rallies and protests in support of the rule of law, due process and the good-faith upholding of the oath President Donald Trump swore to the Constitution.

And in turn, Trump has telegraphed his intention to make this kind of civic participation more risky for people like me by sending the U.S. military to Los Angeles, announcing that protesters at Saturday’s parade will be met by a “very heavy force,” and warning that the same fate awaits other states that express their outrage at the actions of an administration with little respect for the law.

It’s become clear that there will never be a safer opportunity to exercise our First Amendment rights than now. Expressing one’s opposition is only going to get more difficult — Trump has said as much. Attendees at this Saturday’s “No Kings” rallies across Minnesota will very likely show up, make their voices heard and return home to their families safely. That safety is not a guarantee moving forward.

And so to every reader who, like me just months ago, has never attended a protest but has thought about showing up to the State Capitol this Saturday, I can tell you with certainty that one day you will think back on this moment in our country’s history and ask yourself the uncomfortable question: “Could I have done more?”

How do I know this? Because I have been asking myself the same question about similar moments over the past decade. Moments when I had the opportunity to speak up and push back against the tipping dominoes that have led us to this point. Moments when I was “there in spirit,” but at home on the couch in person. Moments where I had intended to go but the forecast looked rainy. Moments where I thought, “There will be plenty of people there — what’s one fewer person?”

Moments like these will continue to nag at me in the coming years, but I’m determined that enjoying my right to free expression this Saturday will not be included among them. I hope that you’ll spare yourself those nagging moments by exercising that right as well.

Marcus Peterson, Minneapolis

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Between 2010 and 2014, President Barack Obama deported 2.5 million immigrants who had entered the U.S. illegally. He proudly boasted that he was “the deporter in chief.” Few cries of “fascist” or “threat to democracy” were heard. The streets of America were quiet. In 2024, President Joe Biden deported over 270,000 immigrants that had entered the country illegally. It was the highest level of deportations since 2014. Again, there were no protests, and the media as well as Democratic politicians remained silent.

In contrast, the streets of many American cities are now filled with protesters, some violent, trying to stop Trump from deporting people who entered the country illegally. Protesters, supported by the media and Democratic politicians, are doing everything they can to stop these deportations from being carried out. The National Guard and local enforcement agencies have been called out, and more U.S. troops may be next (“U.S. troops could be sent to more American cities”).

So what has caused this change? Have Americans become more sympathetic in their feelings toward immigrants? Have Democratic politicians become more sensitive to their plight? The answer is a resounding no. The only change is in who is now sitting in the Oval Office.

Ronald Haskvitz, Minnetonka

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Trump’s plans for controlling protesters is becoming more real than his first-term interest in shooting protesters, as summarized in the June 11 article “700 Marines arrive in L.A. as test of power." It cites former Secretary of Defense Mark Esper’s account that during Black Lives Matter protests, Trump asked why protesters could not just be shot. Fortunately Esper steered him away from that, but now Trump’s interest in use of military force to control protesters in Los Angeles and during his $45 million military birthday parade in Washington, D.C., on Saturday is more unrestrained and dangerous since Esper’s role is now filled by Pete Hegseth. Hegseth and Kristi Noem (Trump’s campaign rally dance partner, now secretary of Homeland Security) both do whatever Trump wants, no questions asked.

My prayer is that military commanders will not give and individual soldiers will refuse orders to shoot protesters and maybe even refuse deployment in domestic enforcement actions.

David Anderson, Minneapolis

The writer is a former Army nurse/medic.

On June 3, south Minneapolis descended into chaos as professional protesters mobilized over a rumored Immigration and Customs Enforcement raid. Using social media, these activists rallied citizens to obstruct federal officers and sheriff’s deputies executing a warrant search on Lake Street. Protesters shouted profanities, dumped trash, threw objects and used makeshift barricades and their bodies to block agents. It was a national embarrassment.

City leaders swiftly condemned the federal presence, calling the agents’ body armor and rifles insensitive and inflammatory. They were mistaken. This was not an ICE raid. Federal agents were conducting a legal search of a restaurant linked to over 900 pounds of methamphetamine found in a Burnsville storage locker. A federal judge authorized the search to investigate a host of crimes including drug trafficking and money laundering. Tactical gear was essential as agents confronted the cartels poisoning our streets.

The incident shamed our city, its leaders and well-meaning citizens caught in the frenzy. Misinformation spread rapidly, fueled by online posts and false claims of ICE “kidnapping” people. A thorough after-action report must examine how this misinformation gained traction and why leaders reacted without verifying facts.

Minneapolis has seen this pattern before. In 2020, after George Floyd’s murder, professional protesters turned peaceful demonstrations into chaos, contributing to riots that devastated Lake Street and Uptown. Yet local media has failed to adequately scrutinize the role of these activists and city leadership in that unrest.

By “professional protesters,” I mean a well-organized group — often aides or consultants to local politicians — who advocate radical ideologies online and wield undue influence over our city’s power structures. They exploit liberals’ commitment to inclusivity and fear of being labeled racist, using tactics like online smear campaigns, boycotts, disrupting caucuses, pushing radical agendas at city hall and the County Attorney’s Office, and inciting confrontations with law enforcement. Their actions do not reflect most residents’ beliefs, yet fear silences dissent as their agenda advances.

Coddling these protesters makes Minneapolis less safe, undermines the police officers we’ve struggled to recruit since 2020 and discourages everyday citizens from participating in the political process — perhaps by design. Their actions have silenced dialogue, shuttered businesses, destroyed neighborhoods and pushed us toward the chaos of 2020.

It’s time for Minneapolis liberals to declare independence from this vocal minority. These activists manipulate good intentions, leading citizens to obstruct justice and destabilize our community. Enough is enough. Reject the fear of accusations from masked radicals. Speak the truth boldly. Minneapolis deserves leaders and citizens who stand against division and misinformation. Let’s reclaim our city’s future.

Michael Conlan, Minneapolis