Emma Ruby
Audio By Carbonatix
That sound you’ve been hearing that perhaps you can’t quite place over the past year is likely coming from a downtown street, city hall plaza, or Capitol building near you. It’s the sound of protesters making their voice heard in opposition to many of the biggest headline-grabbing news items of the day.
Over the past few months, specifically, rare has been the non-snow-covered weekend when passionate groups of advocates have not been out and about, gathering, carrying signs, and lifting their voices. Throughout the first few months of 2025, after President Donald Trump took office for the second time, many protests around the country took aim at what has been viewed as his overreach via dozens of executive orders and his extreme immigration policies.
Recent weeks have seen the significant protests take perhaps a more focused approach, speaking out against the efforts of ICE and the Border Patrol. Following the recent deadly Minnesota incidents where federal agents shot and killed Renee Good and Alex Pretti, people across the country have banded together to keep the spotlight on not only those deaths, but also the plight of many who critics say have been unjustly treated, detained, and deported.
The Observer was on the scene for the Jan. 8 ICE Out Now rally at City Hall Plaza. Spurred on by Goode’s death just a couple of days prior, some demonstrators were taking part in a protest for the first time.
Days after Pretti’s killing, another ICE Out Now protest will take place in the same spot on Thursday, Jan. 29.
Jan. 28 ICE Out Now! In Dallas
Originally scheduled for Tuesday, the event was rescheduled for Thursday due to the icy conditions brought on by Winter Storm Fern. According to the Instagram post promoting the protest, the goal this week is the same from a few weeks ago, although there are now more high-profile examples of ICE controversy that will be on people’s minds.
“On January 24th, ICE brutally murdered Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, this comes just days after a 5 year old boy, Liam and his father were kidnapped,” the Instagram post states. “ICE has murdered innocent people like Renee Nicole Good and Kevin Porter.”
Although Dallas has not been subjected to any aggressively large-scale operation similar to Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, where ICE and border patrol agents have arrested thousands of people, Texas has seen the highest number of ICE detentions since Trump regained office, and recent reports indicate Hutchins, just 15 minutes south of downtown Dallas, could soon be the home of one of the nation’s largest new ICE detention facilities.
Alex Pretti Memorial Bike Ride
The 37-year-old VA nurse who was killed by border patrol agents on Jan. 24 was also an avid mountain biker, according to friends and family. On Saturday at 1 p.m., there will be group rides in dozens of cities across the U.S. and Europe, coinciding with the main We Ride In Unity event in Minneapolis, hosted by the bike-and-coffee shop Angry Catfish, where Pretti was a regular customer.
The Dallas ride will begin at Harwood Park in downtown. Riders will meet at 1 p.m. and begin riding an approximately 10-mile course at 1:30 p.m. Organized by local bike group Hangover Riders DTX, the event aligns with the group’s membership and history of working in the community through charitable bike giveaways and family events.
“Having a diverse community is what we take pride in as a cycling club,” a Hangover Riders DTX rep said. “This is why we felt compelled to do this memorial. Alex Pretti stood up for what is morally right and we are honoring his sacrifice. We have so many minorities in our club that not doing so would be shameful. We’re here to support our community and the biking community.”
Alex Pretti memorial rides will also take place in Austin, Houston, San Antonio. Visit Angry Catfish’s Instagram page for a full list of participating cities.
