The shooting death of a Minnesota woman by federal ICE agents brought some Delaware County residents out to protest Thursday night in Upper Darby.
About 50 people gathered in front of the municipal building to protest the shooting death of Renee Nicole Good and called for justice in her death.
Candles, photos and placards honored the mother who was killed Wednesday during an interaction with agents on a street in Minneapolis.
The event was organized by an Upper Darby Council member (COURTESY PHOTO)
“Abolish ICE, no justice no peace,” the crowd chanted. “Say her name, Renee Nicole Good.”
“Pro America, Anti Trump,” read one woman’s sign while another read “ICE get the F**K out of Delco.”
Upper Darby Council member Kyle McIntyre organized the event.
“We are obviously here to remember the life and memory of Renee Nicole Good but also the memory immigrants who have died in ICE custody this year,” McIntyre said.
The councilman estimated in the past three months there have been 30 residents “kidnapped” in Upper Darby.
The Daily Times could not verify that statement.
“It’s almost a daily occurrence here. The community is terrified and everyone is just doing the best they can to stay strong and fight back,” McIntyre said.
McIntyre said there are people in Upper Darby doing the same thing Good was doing: “Standing up for their community and exercising her right for peaceful protest, and she was murdered for it.”
“ICE have done nothing but terrorize our family, our friends, our community members, and here in Upper Darby we say enough,” McIntyre added.
McIntyre spoke of the coming the 250th anniversary of America, stating that spirit is gone.
“This country died a long time of go,” he said. “It is up to us to revive whatever we believe the spirit of this country was.”
Upper Darby Council Member David Bantoe of the 6th District thanked people for coming out and said they have to stay in solidarity.
He recalled coming to the United States as an immigrant from Liberia and building a life.
“We live here and build family and we know it is a country of the free,” he said.
He said coming from a nation that struggled with a 14-year civil war, he sees similar signs in America.
“This was not my expectation,” he said.
Bantoe said to be your neighbor’s keeper and protect one another.
He said the way to counteract ICE is not to fight or engaged anyone with weapons but to remain calm, and if you suspect anything to call Lawfare or one of the elected officials who are there to listen.
He recalled getting involved in a recent incident in his district in which ICE was involved.
“I was called upon and I went and intervened … and we got it going,” he said.
Other smaller protests took place in Lansdowne and Springfield during the day.