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Activism
/ January 28, 2026
Occupied Minnesota
Minneapolis right now reminds me of what I’ve seen during my time in the West Bank.
Ariel Gold
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Federal agents push back protesters during the “ICE OUT! Noise Demo” outside a hotel in Minneapolis, on January 25, 2026.
(Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images)
As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in the West Bank of Palestine, I know an occupation when I see one—and what is happening in Minnesota right now is an occupation.
I came out to Minneapolis to join the Twin Cities group Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing (MARCH) in protesting the atrocities being committed by ICE against the people of their state.
Following a couple of days of nonviolent training, trust building, rallying, marching, and direct action, notice came on Sunday—one day after the horrific murder of Alex Pretti—that our assistance was needed at one of the community’s dual-language (English and Spanish) churches. My responsibility was to make sure that parishioners, who were frequently too afraid to leave their homes, could worship together in relative safety.
With liturgical vestments — for myself, a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) — draped over our many layers of winter clothing, plastic whistles around our necks, and gas masks at hand, just in case, we buddied up for safety and stationed ourselves on the various street corners around the church.
We hoped that our presence as white faith leaders might deter ICE from appearing on this particular day—or that we might at least be able to warn the parishioners if we saw ICE vehicles approaching the church. As services concluded, we walked people to their cars or nearby homes so that if, God forbid, they were snatched up, their families could be immediately informed, volunteering lawyers activated, and video documentation of the kidnapping uploaded to the site created by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office.
It wasn’t the first time I had done this sort of “protective presence.” Staying for a month or two at a time in the West Bank city of Hebron, I used to spend each weekday morning and afternoon accompanying children to and from schools to protect them from Israeli soldiers. Just as in Minnesota—wherefive-year-old Luis Ramos was snatched out of his father’s car in the driveway of their home last week—the threat the occupying army posed to Palestinian children was all too real.
Current Issue
February 2026 Issue
With me outside the Minneapolis church on Sunday was a local pastor who had been doing protective presence in the city on a regular basis. As we shuffled our feet to stay warm in below-zero temperatures, he relayed a …
How is this acceptable?
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Current Issue
Activism
/ January 28, 2026
Occupied Minnesota
Minneapolis right now reminds me of what I’ve seen during my time in the West Bank.
Ariel Gold
Share
Copy Link
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Ad Policy
Federal agents push back protesters during the “ICE OUT! Noise Demo” outside a hotel in Minneapolis, on January 25, 2026.
(Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images)
As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in the West Bank of Palestine, I know an occupation when I see one—and what is happening in Minnesota right now is an occupation.
I came out to Minneapolis to join the Twin Cities group Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing (MARCH) in protesting the atrocities being committed by ICE against the people of their state.
Following a couple of days of nonviolent training, trust building, rallying, marching, and direct action, notice came on Sunday—one day after the horrific murder of Alex Pretti—that our assistance was needed at one of the community’s dual-language (English and Spanish) churches. My responsibility was to make sure that parishioners, who were frequently too afraid to leave their homes, could worship together in relative safety.
With liturgical vestments — for myself, a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) — draped over our many layers of winter clothing, plastic whistles around our necks, and gas masks at hand, just in case, we buddied up for safety and stationed ourselves on the various street corners around the church.
We hoped that our presence as white faith leaders might deter ICE from appearing on this particular day—or that we might at least be able to warn the parishioners if we saw ICE vehicles approaching the church. As services concluded, we walked people to their cars or nearby homes so that if, God forbid, they were snatched up, their families could be immediately informed, volunteering lawyers activated, and video documentation of the kidnapping uploaded to the site created by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office.
It wasn’t the first time I had done this sort of “protective presence.” Staying for a month or two at a time in the West Bank city of Hebron, I used to spend each weekday morning and afternoon accompanying children to and from schools to protect them from Israeli soldiers. Just as in Minnesota—wherefive-year-old Luis Ramos was snatched out of his father’s car in the driveway of their home last week—the threat the occupying army posed to Palestinian children was all too real.
Current Issue
February 2026 Issue
With me outside the Minneapolis church on Sunday was a local pastor who had been doing protective presence in the city on a regular basis. As we shuffled our feet to stay warm in below-zero temperatures, he relayed a …
Occupied Minnesota
How is this acceptable?
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Current Issue
Activism
/ January 28, 2026
Occupied Minnesota
Minneapolis right now reminds me of what I’ve seen during my time in the West Bank.
Ariel Gold
Share
Copy Link
Facebook
X (Twitter)
Bluesky Pocket
Email
Ad Policy
Federal agents push back protesters during the “ICE OUT! Noise Demo” outside a hotel in Minneapolis, on January 25, 2026.
(Octavio Jones / AFP via Getty Images)
As someone who has spent a significant amount of time in the West Bank of Palestine, I know an occupation when I see one—and what is happening in Minnesota right now is an occupation.
I came out to Minneapolis to join the Twin Cities group Multifaith Antiracism, Change & Healing (MARCH) in protesting the atrocities being committed by ICE against the people of their state.
Following a couple of days of nonviolent training, trust building, rallying, marching, and direct action, notice came on Sunday—one day after the horrific murder of Alex Pretti—that our assistance was needed at one of the community’s dual-language (English and Spanish) churches. My responsibility was to make sure that parishioners, who were frequently too afraid to leave their homes, could worship together in relative safety.
With liturgical vestments — for myself, a tallit (Jewish prayer shawl) — draped over our many layers of winter clothing, plastic whistles around our necks, and gas masks at hand, just in case, we buddied up for safety and stationed ourselves on the various street corners around the church.
We hoped that our presence as white faith leaders might deter ICE from appearing on this particular day—or that we might at least be able to warn the parishioners if we saw ICE vehicles approaching the church. As services concluded, we walked people to their cars or nearby homes so that if, God forbid, they were snatched up, their families could be immediately informed, volunteering lawyers activated, and video documentation of the kidnapping uploaded to the site created by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office.
It wasn’t the first time I had done this sort of “protective presence.” Staying for a month or two at a time in the West Bank city of Hebron, I used to spend each weekday morning and afternoon accompanying children to and from schools to protect them from Israeli soldiers. Just as in Minnesota—wherefive-year-old Luis Ramos was snatched out of his father’s car in the driveway of their home last week—the threat the occupying army posed to Palestinian children was all too real.
Current Issue
February 2026 Issue
With me outside the Minneapolis church on Sunday was a local pastor who had been doing protective presence in the city on a regular basis. As we shuffled our feet to stay warm in below-zero temperatures, he relayed a …
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