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Markabaddon's avatar

Are you there God, its me, Mark. I am in MN, have been involved in immigrant rights defense for over a year and had a lovely encounter with ICE yesterday. My wife and I are trained constitutional observers. Yesterday, we saw ICE agents drive into a local shopping center. We pulled into the parking lot of Ross clothing and the ICE agents drove over and blocked us in, not allowing us to leave. They turned on their flashing lights, exited their vehicle, came over to the driver's side and attempted to open the car door. Twice. They asked us to roll down the window and we refused, saying that we had every right to be there and were going shopping.

They attempted to intimidate us and when we said we were calling the police they went back to their vehicle. We stayed in the parking lot for a few more minutes, driving around and they continued to circle around us, again attempting to intimidate us.

If you think you know how bad it is here, God (well, maybe you do know, being omnipotent and all), you got no idea. But people are fighting back. I was putting together know your rights packets for businesses yesterday with the ICE watch in my neighborhood. Had over 30 people show up just for that. Before last week, I was told if 5 people showed up, we would be lucky.

I can answer other questions for anyone not here but want to know the situation on the ground

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TrashPandaParty's avatar

Thank you for everything you and your spouse are doing.

I cannot imagine how terrifying it is to have an encounter with ICE goons, especially now. Please, stay safe while you are doing this incredibly important work. You, and those working with you, are the heroes we need right now.

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Markabaddon's avatar

Thank you, I appreciate that. My wife and I are safe and, while we were threatened, there was no physical contact. For anyone who has a direct encounter with ICE, I would suggest these protocols:

1. Lock the doors and windows. DO NOT roll down the windows or open doors

2. State that you are a constitutional observer (we both are but if you are not, just say it and fake it, these morons will not know. The male ones could not count to 11 unless they are naked)

3. Say that you are calling 911 right now

4. Do not engage, answer questions or do anything to enflame the situation. I will admit, I did not exactly follow this one. While I did keep my mouth shut (which was challenging for me), I was giving the one cop the middle finger the entire time.

5. I would also recommend having the Ready Now app installed on your phone and be prepared to hit it if necessary. It can send out a pre-populated alert with a message you craft to key contacts and friends/family

Let me know if you want any additional information. I do have pics but do not know if I am able to upload them here

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KatDanz1's avatar

so glad you all are organizing… It’s hard to watch as I am a Minnesotan…but don’t live there any longer.

I was thinking neighborhoods should just turn on the sprinklers/have a garden hose party… keep that ground slippery and I seriously doubt that those creepy dudes have proper cold weather clothing…

They’d be mighty uncomfortable if they got moist .

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Markabaddon's avatar

Problem with that is, man those sidewalks would get slippery for everyone and not thaw out until Spring. Which happens in May if we are lucky

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KatDanz1's avatar

yep.

I guess ice skates and crampons might help.

Don’t want to make light of any of this… It’s heart wrenching to witness.

Kind of wish that they all could be lured into an ice chase tunnel..but the people they’re chasing have Crampons.

Or at least I’d like to see them get moist and cold.

Keep doing what you’re doing… Minnesota Strong💪🏽💜

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HI2thDoc's avatar

I don't know if they could count to 11. Maybe 10 and a half

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Bronwyn Halls's avatar

Ten and a quarter if the weather's nice and cold.

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Markabaddon's avatar

It shrinks? Like a frightened turtle.....I miss Seinfeld

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Sharon Riegert Cypher's avatar

I never heard of Ready App. Is it in an app store? I want it just in case. My little area of WI has a lot of immigrants working on farms. We want to be ready.

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Markabaddon's avatar

Yup, you should be able to find it on an app store

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KatDanz1's avatar

Mark, there are like four or five different Ready apps on the App Store.

For different things, but nothing looks like it matches .

If there’s time to screenshot what it looks like 👍🏽👍🏽

Sorry for the ask.

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Markabaddon's avatar

Ok, cannot paste my screenshot in here. The app is ready now. The "o" in now has a stylized orange logo with 3 circles & 2 curved lines over it, kinda like a rainbow. Does that help at all?

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Susan Detwiler's avatar

Thanks for this report, Mark. Kudos for what you are doing!

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Pam Reese's avatar

I wonder what’s in the packages? I live Chicago and am pretty housebound. I want to contribute somehow (sending small donations to Democrats somehow doesn’t make me feel like I am participating)

But I can put together packets!

The video gave me a great laugh and sending it to all my dear ones.

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Markabaddon's avatar

The package includes red cards, what to do if ICE shows up at your business, know your rights (in various languages), signs to say ICE is not welcome unless a judicial warrant is produced, what to look for in a warrant and signs showing what areas are employee only

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KatDanz1's avatar

sorry if someone has already asked this… But do you have a link to those packages?

Or the name of them again?

Thanks a bunch

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Pam Reese's avatar

Did you get the information from someone? Could I order some premade

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Markabaddon's avatar

I was not on the organizing portion of the event, just was assembling the packet, but will ping the person who did and will see if the files can be uploaded in some way. Perhaps GOD can figure out a way to allow me to upload documents through divine intervention

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Pam Reese's avatar

LOL God can do anything.

Please ping the person

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P J Johnston's avatar

Sorry to hear what is going on in Minnesota the ICE people do not understand nor have enough training to understand that what they are doing is only encouraging more protests and more heartbreak than is necessary. This I hope will be the straw that breaks the camel's back. But I rather doubt it. There are too many above them that are cheering them on!

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KatDanz1's avatar

I actually believe that they have been encouraged to intimidate and instigate… They don’t care that it is creating protests. That’s actually the goal.

To get people to react… I’m sure they hope the reaction is fear but if they don’t get fear, then they can try to insight a riot, which would be exactly what they want.

Part of the playbook .

I’m glad people are peacefully protesting as much as they can .

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Mel Johansson's avatar

Thank you so much for your valiant and courageous work. I've read other accounts from Minnesotans that are similarly horrifying. I wish the people who literally get up in arms about the Second Amendment were as passionate about the Fourth Amendment as they are about the Second.

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Markabaddon's avatar

Yes, it is interesting that the "Don't tread on me crowd" seems unusually silent over this. I am going to go out on a limb here, but could it be that it was never about rights at all? Maybe, and I am just speculating here, they might be just a bunch of inbred racists?

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Rhoda Ozen's avatar

Your wife and yourself are helping us and you deserve kudos.

Please take care of yourselves and thank you for all you do.

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Robot Bender's avatar

How did they know who you are? How did they recognize your car?

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Markabaddon's avatar

Excellent question, We had seen their vehicle on the highway, saw they were FL plates with completely tinted windows on all sides, suspected they were ICE and followed them into the parking lot of the shopping center. We figured, if they were not ICE, we could go shopping anyway. We were not terribly close to them but they must have seen us following and drove over shortly after they saw us

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Cheryl Ramette's avatar

And. We have ice. Let’s keep them slipping up. But not in any ways that harm other people.

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Tracy Kohlbeck's avatar

I think I love the one man brave enough to protest alone in Wyandotte, Michigan!

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Rachel C's avatar

He looks a bit like God👹

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Eleanor's avatar
14hEdited

I think it makes it glaringly obvious where these hired thugs come from. Nobody who grew up or lives in the northern US would have tried to run across that without spiked boots and all they had to do was stick to dry ground or snow on the side.

Not for nothing, but this also gives away a pretty good line of defense…a couple of buckets of water and your walkway and porch are impassable by trespassers.

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Michele Dukinfield's avatar

In the Twin Cities, the middle of the street is usually safe. The sides are where the ice (small letters) accumulates.

And last week, on the night of the day Renee Good was murdered, there was one f these freezing rain occurrences when it was below freezing.

Even so, over 6000 people participated in a two mile march to commemorate her and all ICE victims.

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Karyn Milos's avatar

Even wearing cleats, we have the brains to take it slow and easy and not try to run. If we needed any further evidence that these frozen goons are NOT professional law enforcement, here it is.

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Deb Vitkova's avatar

I pray, dear G-d, we will be rid of these Nazis sooner than later.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

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Mwfeiger's avatar

"Nonce" means accusing one of being a sex offender, particularly someone with a sexual interest in children (a paedophile). I love the British and their colorful language.

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Elke Speevack's avatar

Thanks for the explanation.

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Richard's avatar

Kudos to all the anti-ice protesters nationwide this past weekend. I love the signs and the guy wearing the t-shirt. F**k Trump! The ice thugs are a bunch of dumb shits!

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Katharine Hill's avatar

Amen and Hallelujah, God. Bless your natural ice for taking down these goons.

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LBrielmaier's avatar

New symbols of resistance : banana peels?

Can't be confused with a lethal weapon.

Used whole bananas in tail pipes in Eddie Murphy movies to great comic effect.

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JP Connolly's avatar

still a nonce! Yes indeedy!

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TrashPandaParty's avatar

Did you see that Donald anointed himself the president of Venezuela?

Bless those amazing humans protesting. It's dangerous to speak out these days. Everyday things devolve further, I hope we can make it out of this mess.

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JustTanNotOrange's avatar

I feel safest when surrounded by 20,000+ of my like-minded neighbors! Attending protests is the best thing for my mental health

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Marcia's avatar

Perfect music accompaniment.

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Pam Reese's avatar

Absolutely! The music was perfect!

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Toby Koch's avatar

You deserve an Oscar for that compilation!

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Sarah3000's avatar

Thank you God for having a wonderful sense of humor. Comic relief is always welcomed, especially after the horrible week we just had.

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Queenmimi's avatar

Ummm...what's a nonce?

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Karen Thompson's avatar

It’s a British slang word for a paedophile

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Queenmimi's avatar

Thanks, my world just expanded

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Pam Reese's avatar

LOL! I learned a new word. Trump is real nonce. Very nice word to know!

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jane's avatar

Witnessing someone fall is always funny, but these Jughead thugs in their combat gear and masks? Super hilarious, cuz they're all "me powerful" "me scary" - anybody see Noem on Jake Tapper? Her frozen Botoxed face never cracked as she lied to Tapper's face as he questioned her rehearsed narrative about the Renee Good, the spider we all saw with our own eyes, and protecting the murderer. She is repulsive and grotesque even with those lip fillers.

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Coco's avatar

Thanks, God. I needed that laugh. Way to go on new followers!

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