Activists nationwide, including in Indianapolis, are calling for no work, no school and no shopping on Friday, to protest ICE’s aggressive enforcement.
The big picture: Organizers of the national shutdown are pushing for the boycott to oppose ICE funding as part of a larger protest movement against ICE in the wake of the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, as well as the killings of Silverio Villegas González in Chicago and Keith Porter Jr. in Los Angeles.
State of play: Several local political and advocacy groups have endorsed Friday’s call to action.
- The Indianapolis Liberation Center is hosting a community teach-in Friday at 2pm.
- According to the center, it will focus on building the infrastructure to sustain a shutdown, the history of general strikes and their effectiveness at creating change and hands-on training to organize neighborhoods for opposing ICE activity.
- Marion County Young Democrats are organizing a rally in front of the governor’s residence at 4:30pm Friday, followed by a vigil “in remembrance of all who have been murdered or gone missing at the hands of ICE” at New Liberty Missionary Baptist Church.
Reality check: The action has not attracted widespread closures of Indianapolis businesses, and it’s unclear how many local individuals will opt in.
- The near east side bike shop Bike People will close for Friday. Several businesses, including Pots & Pans Pie Co. and Tomorrow Bookstore, are directing a portion of their proceeds to organizations working with immigrants.
- Irvington Vinyl and Books is also closing Friday, even though “we need to be making money,” owner Elysia Smith said on social media.
- “We have made $50 this week, and I know that is the same tune that a lot of other local businesses are going to be singing,” she said, encouraging followers to come in and support the store over the weekend.
Flashback: Hundreds of Minneapolis businesses closed last week during a similar boycott and protest that attracted tens of thousands of people in below-freezing temperatures…