The last couple of days have been relatively quiet in Minneapolis.

It’s possible that the recent court order about how they can’t target observers is functioning as sand in their gears — which right now I think is all the courts and the law can be, sand in the gears. They’ve been leaning really hard on harassing, intimidating, attacking, tear-gassing, and detaining observers; they need that to function in the city.

Noem responded to that court order with a snotty “well we’re not doing anything wrong so this doesn’t change anything” kind of statement, but it’s possible agents have been told not to push it until they can get another court to overturn the order. That would fit with them focusing on the suburbs: observers are less organized there, and homes are more spread out.

2/

It’s possible that this is nothing at all, and they’ll be back in full force today. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has suggested that maybe the worst is over.

But we took the days of relative rest anyway. Hmm, “rest” is wrong: mutual aid, food distribution, school observers, people doing laundry for those who can’t go to a laundromat — that continues unabated. But there’s a definite feeling of catching our breath for a moment.

3/

It’s possible that this is nothing at all, and they’ll be back in full force today. Nobody, and I mean nobody, has suggested that maybe the worst is over.

But we took the days of relative rest anyway. Hmm, “rest” is wrong: mutual aid, food distribution, school observers, people doing laundry for those who can’t go to a laundromat — that continues unabated. But there’s a definite feeling of catching our breath for a moment.

3/

I spent Sunday with friends I hadn’t seen in a month or more. We baked cookies, worked on a jigsaw puzzle, shared stories. The story sharing consists of someone talking about a personal experience that would have seemed unthinkable a month ago: a friend with a missing relative, a car left in the street, a family who had 8 loads of laundry because they couldn’t leave the house, running on the ice and fumbling for the whistle while witnessing somebody being abducted right there, right in front of them.

After each story, there is really nothing to say. It is horrible. We nod. We know. We continue the puzzle.

4/

I heard from a colleague of my spouse with family in Mankato (a smaller city an hour or two southwest of MSP) that there is not such an active network of observers down there, and ICE is much bolder. They’re just walking right up to people’s windows and peering in to see what color the residents are.

5/

It’s possible that the recent court order about how they can’t target observers is functioning as sand in their gears — which right now I think is all the courts and the law can be, sand in the gears. They’ve been leaning really hard on harassing, intimidating, attacking, tear-gassing, and detaining observers; they need that to function in the city.

Noem responded to that court order with a snotty “well we’re not doing anything wrong so this doesn’t change anything” kind of statement, but it’s possible agents have been told not to push it until they can get another court to overturn the order. That would fit with them focusing on the suburbs: observers are less organized there, and homes are more spread out.

2/

These stories are relentless, and even when we aren’t seeing ICE with our own eyes, we’re carrying the weight of hearing these stories — carrying each other’s burden of witness. The story-sharing is both a part of the weight we carry and a part of the healing we do together.

It’s hard. But I do feel like I repaired something in myself over the weekend, first watching the right-wing hate march get humiliated and then making time with friends.

Ready to continue.

/end

Unfortunately, I’m hearing what @paulference said through other channels as well: it appears to be nothing more than a geographic shift. Someone just posted that Roseville (north / northeast suburb) is “swimming in ICE” right now.

Godspeed to the suburbs right now. I hope we’ve been able to pass along enough of what we learned here in the heart of the city. The sprawl is going to make rapid response a lot harder out there….

(If you can’t view post: it just says ICE was swarming the southwest MSP suburbs yesterday.)

https://mspsocial.net/@paulference/115928364896531961

@inthehands
The link doesn't work for me.
@paulference

@elala works for me. You may be blocked by that user. Try opening in an incognito window/tab.

These stories are relentless, and even when we aren’t seeing ICE with our own eyes, we’re carrying the weight of hearing these stories — carrying each other’s burden of witness. The story-sharing is both a part of the weight we carry and a part of the healing we do together.

It’s hard. But I do feel like I repaired something in myself over the weekend, first watching the right-wing hate march get humiliated and then making time with friends.

Ready to continue.

/end

@christmastree
No, i'm not blocked.

@elala @christmastree It 404s for me too.

@inthehands
It would be useful for the city or state to post officers near protest gatherings with specific instructions to protect lawful activity from lawless ICE agents.

@inthehands Unfortunately, I can confirm it's a geographic shift. They were swarming the southwest metro yesterday.

@paulference @inthehands Metro as in the region, or Metro as in "let's get out of this wind and harass people in the subway"?

@linuxandyarn @inthehands Region, we have no subway.