Guard Members Hand Out Coffee, Donuts to Protesters
The Minnesota National Guard appeared at an anti-ICE protest in Minneapolis on Sunday with coffee, donuts, and a deliberate visual message. Video from the scene shows Guard members wearing bright yellow reflective vests while handing out refreshments from the back of a vehicle. Officials said the vests were intended to clearly distinguish Guard troops from federal law enforcement officers amid heightened tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in the Twin Cities.
A Guard member told local media the outreach was meant as a “demonstration of safety and security.” Earlier this month, the Guard announced that any deployed troops would wear reflective gear to avoid confusion with other agencies that use similar uniforms.
In addition to coffee and donuts, Guard members also distributed hand warmers to protesters and others gathered outside the Whipple Federal Building in downtown Minneapolis.
The protest followed the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent earlier this month in south Minneapolis. In response to growing demonstrations and public safety concerns, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt and the City of Minneapolis requested National Guard assistance on Saturday to support local law enforcement at key locations, including the federal building.
City officials said local law enforcement resources have been stretched thin due to disruptions to public safety linked to the large federal immigration enforcement presence in neighborhood areas.
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