As many as 1,000 people gathered in Columbus Circle yesterday to protest the shooting of Renee Good, and ICE’s presence in Syracuse and cities across the country. WAER News was downtown following the crowd as they marched to Clinton Square.
The voices were numerous…and loud. They're angry with ICE’s killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis, and the actions of the Trump administration writ large. The crowd consisted of college students, retirees, and many missing work to make their voices heard.
Ahsas Sadhu is a freshman at SUNY ESF. He was missing class to stand with the crowd in the cold.
“I am a Punjabi American, I was born here," Sadhu said. "But you know, I've seen firsthand what ICE has done to my family and my people. And it's not right.”
Christina Czerny was missing work to be at the rally, and she wasn’t alone.
“I brought my two children because I want them to see what this country really is, which is we have more in common than we don't," she said.
The rally was organized by eight local social justice organizations, including the Syracuse chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. Lead organizer Tammy Honeywell said their resolve won't waver.
“We've seen ICE ramp up their tactics here locally, and we just want to send a message that this is not what we want for our neighbors," she said. “The Trump administration is unpredictable, and if something happens, we have the organizations and the coalition to be able to get things moving rather quickly.”
Speakers made remarks to the crowd for an hour on a wide range of issues, from indigenous rights, to the war in Gaza, before the crowd marched to Clinton Square half a mile away.
The march was peaceful, in accordance with organizers instructions. Organizers say they are planning more gatherings until ICE stops their activities.
