Protestors Comments On Minneapolis Incident
Minneapolis once again found itself at the center of unrest Saturday after Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old man who authorities say was armed during a federal enforcement operation. What followed was not a quiet demand for answers, but the rapid erection of street barricades, blocked roadways, and scenes that observers say echoed some of the most volatile moments of 2020.
Wait Tim Walz sent the Minnesota National Guard to deliver donuts and coffee to the rioters??
Are you fucking kidding me?!??! pic.twitter.com/XRQ9W9IsTa
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) January 26, 2026
According to the Department of Homeland Security, the shooting occurred around 9:05 a.m. during what it described as a “targeted” operation. By afternoon, left-wing rioters had taken to the streets. Video posted by Daily Caller News Foundation reporter Jorge Ventura showed dumpsters and trash cans dragged into roadways, forming makeshift barricades that shut down multiple streets near the scene of the shooting. Ventura reported that despite heavy use of tear gas by authorities, the crowd continued to grow, with many individuals arriving from outside the area.
More striking was Ventura’s account of the official response. He said Minneapolis police and the Minnesota State Patrol appeared to be allowing rioters to occupy the streets, making little to no effort to dismantle the barricades. The Minneapolis Police Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment, leaving questions about enforcement priorities unanswered as tensions escalated.
HAPPENING NOW 🚨: MN National Guard members have arrived at the site of the federal building, and have been ordered to distribute donuts, coffee and hot chocolate to anti-ice protestors.
They were given reflective vests so protestors don’t confuse them with federal agents. pic.twitter.com/tnvAHiIMKM
— Anthony (@anthonycabassa) January 25, 2026
Ventura compared the scene to the CHOP/CHAZ occupation in Seattle in 2020, noting the similarities in both the physical control of city blocks and the apparent reluctance of authorities to intervene. That comparison gained weight as DHS confirmed that at least two federal officers—one from Homeland Security Investigations and another from Customs and Border Protection—were injured by rioters during the unrest.
The political reaction was swift and polarized. Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar labeled the shooting an “execution,” while other Democrats demanded President Donald Trump halt ICE enforcement operations altogether. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer went further, announcing that Democrats would oppose DHS appropriations legislation, a move that risks a partial government shutdown.
This is absolutely horrifying footage.
Horrifying.
That poor man, just fending off a mob alone in a doorway with a gun.
This is haunting… Leftists who did this need to go to prison for life.
I don’t care anymore.
Lock them all up. Every single one.
pic.twitter.com/RLfOdCcXpE— Matt Van Swol (@mattvanswol) January 26, 2026
This latest eruption follows a string of violent confrontations involving federal agents in the Minneapolis area, including the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good and a January ambush that left an ICE agent wounded. Federal authorities had surged hundreds of ICE agents into the region after reports of widespread welfare fraud tied to Somali networks, some allegedly linked to the terrorist group al-Shabaab.