Protest at Whipple Federal Building Follows Renee Good Killing
The Whipple Federal Building protest unfolded in Minneapolis after the fatal shooting of Renee Good, with demonstrators blocking all three entrances to the federal complex that houses ICE’s Minnesota headquarters. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested three protesters after pepper spray was deployed to clear entrances. Organizers said the Whipple Federal Building protest aimed to disrupt ICE operations and demand accountability following Good’s death, as state officials confirmed federal authorities blocked the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension from conducting an independent investigation.
Protesters stay united, peaceful
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested three protesters Friday after demonstrators blocked all three entrances to the Whipple Federal Building in Minneapolis, home to ICE’s Minnesota headquarters. The protest came a day after ICE agent Johnathan Ross shot and killed Renee Good near East 34th Street and Portland Avenue.
Minneapolis Public Schools canceled classes district-wide, citing safety concerns after the killing of the 37-year-old constitutional observer and a subsequent raid at Roosevelt High School that evening. Organizers said the demonstration aimed to disrupt ICE operations and called for an end to Operation Metro Surge.
Protesters surrounded an ICE vehicle attempting to enter the Fort Snelling parking lot. Minutes later, pepper spray was deployed, and demonstrators were forced back onto the sidewalk.
Emily Phillips, a constitutional observer like Good, has been at the Whipple Federal Building nearly daily since September, protesting and shouting at agents as they enter and exit. Phillips said ICE agents know her by name and have contacted her on social media. At the Whipple, she described a similar encounter with federal agents in Richfield last month while monitoring ICE activity.
“When we were in Richfield observing, we were mobile, commuting behind some ICE vehicles, which it is legal to follow,” Phillips said.
Video reviewed by the MSR shows Phillips approaching a dead-end road while blowing a whistle as an ICE agent drove toward her vehicle the wrong way down a one-way street.
“We debated going down it. We did decide to. And when we did, we got to the end of the road and realized there were other ICE vehicles there,” Phillips said.
She said the situation quickly escalated, despite no lights or sirens being activated.
“The vehicle we had been following came toward us on the wrong side of the road with no lights or sirens, and drove so that we had to go backward all the way to the end of the road. Then another vehicle was there to block us in. We were surrounded by at least three vehicles, and I’d say at least eight officers,” Phillips said.
The encounter ended with officers approaching her vehicle with weapons drawn. “There were some officers that came up to the window, and one came up holding a live rifle, already pointed at us with his finger on the trigger,” she said.
Phillips said Friday’s demonstration effectively paused ICE enforcement operations as attention focused on Good’s death. “Look at this road. This is what they have to use. They only have one exit that they can use right now, and that’s probably blocked too. So operations are essentially frozen,” she said.
Liv Rose, an artist who recently quit her job to focus on activism full time, said she felt morally compelled to protest despite severe health challenges. Good’s killing, Rose said, left her unable to stay home.
“I got paralyzed from the neck down from an autoimmune attack when I was 20. Three years later, I’m out here protesting,” Rose said. “I’m in pain. I have asthma. I don’t even know how much time I have left, to be honest, but I’m out here.”
Rose criticized federal agents stationed at the building, calling out what she called performative enforcement. “They’re doing this for show, and they’re all pathetic losers. That’s why their masks are up. That’s why they know what they’re doing is wrong,” she said.
Satya Ottercreek, a worker at the State Department of Corrections, said she was motivated by a belief that citizenship carries a responsibility to protect others and resist state violence. Ottercreek described Good’s killing as part of a recurring historical pattern.
“It’s a classic example of how much discrepancy there is in the system. History repeats itself over and over again, and it hurts me to see that it just happens again,” she said.
Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, released a statement later that day saying the U.S. Attorney’s Office blocked the state agency from investigating the shooting.
“The investigation would now be led solely by the FBI, and the BCA would no longer have access to the case materials, scene evidence, or investigative interviews necessary to complete a thorough and independent investigation,” Evans said.
State Sens. Rob Dibble and Ann Johnson Stewart joined protesters outside the building, condemning federal enforcement practices and warning that misinformation could escalate tensions.
“What makes this moment even more dangerous is not the violence but the lies, the distortion, the denial, the propaganda from a federal administration that’s shown again and again a willingness to exercise brutality,” Dibble said.
Stewart urged protesters to remain united and committed to peaceful protests. “Do not get discouraged. We are fighting for you,” she said. “We must stand together. We must stay peaceful.”
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