Demonstrators clashed with federal law enforcement in the US state of Minnesota late on Thursday, with reports of vandalism and the use of chemical irritants following a second officer-involved shooting in Minneapolis within a week.
Tensions boiled over after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot a Venezuelan national on Wednesday during an arrest attempt.
Footage on social media captured the intensity of the unrest, showing individuals spray-painting “Only good agent is a dead one” in red paint across a vehicle believed to be used by federal officers.
The vehicle, which appeared to have its windows smashed and exterior panels damaged, was also defaced with anti-ICE slogans.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said things escalated into "unlawful acts," including throwing fireworks at officers, which prompted law enforcement to deploy flash bangs and tear gas to disperse the crowd.
"This is already a very tense situation, and we do not need this to escalate any further," said O'Hara, urging the public to leave the area.
Governor Tim Walz appealed for calm, warning that violence would play into the hands of those seeking division.
"I know you’re angry. I’m angry," Walz wrote on US social media platform X. "But Minnesota will remain an island of decency, of justice, of community and of peace."
Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the violence while reiterating his call for federal agents to leave the city, arguing their presence is "creating chaos" rather than safety.
The unrest follows the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old American and mother of three, who was killed by an ICE agent last week after dropping her son off at school, according to the Associated Press.​​​​​​​ While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem claims Good tried to “weaponise her vehicle” before the agent opened fire to “defend himself,” local officials have strongly disputed the justification of self-defence amid the deployment of thousands of federal agents to the state.
DHS claims the agent involved in the latest shooting fired "defensive shots" after being ambushed by three individuals wielding a snow shovel and broom handle.
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Source: TRT