A federal immigration officer shot and killed 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti.<\/b>
\nSouthern Californian protesters joined others nationwide on Saturday Jan. 24, to express shock, sorrow and outrage after a man was shot and killed earlier that day during an altercation with federal immigration officers in Minneapolis.
About 70 people gathered around 5 p.m. at Mariachi Plaza in Boyle Heights to protest Alex Pretti\u2019s death, which was recorded on video and shared on social media.
Protesters waved signs with slogans like \u201cJustice for all those murdered by ICE, \u201cICE out of LA. ICE out of Boyle Heights,\u201d \u201cJustice for Alex,\u201d and \u201cLegalization for All.\u201d A shrine to Petti on Mariachi Plaza included flowers, crosses and candles.
Dozens of cars honked in response to the protesters with passengers leaning out the windows to join in the chanting.
Speakers at the Boyle Heights demonstration encouraged those gathered to organize and fight for immigrant rights. One speaker, Carlos Montes with the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, blasted President Donald Trump.
\u201cThe federal government is out of whack because of the racist Trump reactionary agenda,\u201d he said.
\u201cA lot of you are very young,\u201d Montes added. \u201cYou can commit yourself to justice\u2026 to revolution.\u201d
The crowds cheered, shouting \u201clong live the revolution!\u201d
Shortly after 5 p.m., Los Angeles police posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that a protest march \u201cstopped on Los Angeles St between Aliso and Temple blocking all lanes of southbound traffic.\u201d
\u201cPlease use alternate route and avoid the area,\u201d the post added. A later post indicated the protest had moved to the northbound lanes of Los Angeles Street.
A 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse at a Veterans Administration hospital, Pretti, a U.S. citizen, was protesting President Donald Trump\u2019s immigration crackdown in his city.
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that federal officers were conducting an operation and fired \u201cdefensive shots\u201d after a man with a handgun approached them and \u201cviolently resisted\u201d when officers tried to disarm him.
In bystander videos of the shooting that emerged soon after, Pretti is seen with a phone in his hand but none appear to show him with a visible weapon.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O\u2019Hara said police believe the man was a \u201clawful gun owner with a permit to carry.\u201d
Pretti was shot just over a mile from where an ICE officer shot and killed 37-year-old Renee Good on Jan. 7, sparking widespread protests
In addition to demonstrations in LA and Santa Ana on Saturday, protests also are planned for Sunday, Jan. 25 in Ontario and Rancho Cucamonga.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more.<\/p>\n