Protesters gather in Moorhead for an ‘economic blackout’ protest against ICE

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR) — On Friday, many protesters lined the streets in Moorhead to call out ICE activity in the state. The group takes part in the state-wide protest to not go to work, go to school, or go shopping.

“It’s kind of like, most people feel like, well, there’s nothing we can do about it. It’s the government. Well, this is still America for another, hopefully, for another few years. What we can do is exercise these rights. The right to speak, the right to assemble, the right to protest,” said Dave Kelsen, Safety Volunteer for Red River United Indivisible.

In Minnesota, about 3,000 ICE agents are now in the Minneapolis, St. Paul region. While this protest is taking place over 200 miles away, the group believes the nation needs to stand up.

“I want the country to know that even though it’s thirty below out here, we’re still willing to fight for our freedoms. And that we don’t want to be oppressed or brutalized by a president’s personal Gestapo,” said Shawn, a protester.

As the group started out small, it continued to grow. And Kelsen says this group just wants to demonstrate to the public that they are not alone, but also to say something needs to be done.

“We’ve got to do something. My country is going…going down the tubes. I’m a veteran, I’m the son of a veteran, I’m the father of a veteran, I’m the brother of a veteran. This is not what we fought for. And we’ve got to do something to stop it, and this is all I can do,” said Kelsen.

Protests were going on across the state, as thousands of people took to the streets in Minneapolis.