ORLANDO, Fla. — Dozens of protesters rallied in front of Orlando City Hall Wednesday, calling on the federal government to abolish Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the wake of a deadly shooting in Minnesota.
The protest was organized by 50501 Orlando, which has been behind many of the other anti-Trump events held in Central Florida over the past year.
Approximately 40 people attended, which was higher than organizers’ expectations given the rally was planned 90 minutes before it began.
“All of us here are incredibly shocked and disgusted by what has happened,” Marcus Polzer said.
The shooting divided Americans largely on ideological lines, with the Trump administration defending the actions of the agent seen shooting the woman as she drove forward.
The administration suggested she was trying to run over the agent, while video of the shooting showed the car was turning but was not clear enough to establish if the woman was aiming for the agent or trying to flee the scene as other agents tried to open her car door.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem added that agents were trying to get a car unstuck from a snowbank when protesters appeared, and the woman was blocking agents at the scene.
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“No one’s qualified say [if the shooting was justified] without a thorough investigation,” Dr. Randy Nelson, who trains law enforcement officers on conflict and de-escalation, said. “What bothers me is that -- on both sides of the spectrum -- people are coming out making definitive statements about something we know nothing about.”Approximately 40 people attended, which was higher than the organizers’ expectations, given that the rally was planned 90 minutes before it began.
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