Gov. Tim Walz went on television Sunday and assured the public that what Minnesota was witnessing in the aftermath of the Border Patrol shooting of Alex Pretti were “peaceful protests.” That claim collapses almost immediately under even the lightest scrutiny. If you set aside rioters throwing objects at law enforcement, spray-painting buildings, blocking streets with debris, and an incident in which a federal agent reportedly had part of his finger bitten off, then yes — everything was apparently just fine.
Walz wasn’t simply shading the truth. He was actively rewriting it. He falsely claimed that ICE, not Border Patrol agents, shot Pretti. He escalated the rhetoric further by comparing immigration enforcement to the persecution of Anne Frank. That comparison alone would have been enough to inflame tensions in an already volatile city. Yet even as Walz was defending the protesters as peaceful, they were in the process of proving him wrong in real time.
The injured officer carries his weapon despite bloodied hands, and sustaining an injury.
Minneapolis, MN 📍 https://t.co/5YkHd9rYbI pic.twitter.com/RyGcu4xp8I
— Anthony (@anthonycabassa) January 26, 2026
Later that same day, a mob descended on a Home2 Suites hotel in Minneapolis after deciding — correctly or not — that ICE agents might be staying there. What followed was not protest. Streets were blocked off with pallets, debris, and even a mattress. Front windows were smashed. Graffiti was sprayed across the building. Protesters forced their way through the front doors, trashing the lobby and physically clashing with hotel security.
Video circulating online shows agitators pushing against security personnel as they tried to breach deeper into the building. At least one federal agent inside was visibly injured, his hand covered in blood, though it remains unclear exactly how the injury occurred. Inside the lobby, there was reportedly a single Minneapolis police officer attempting to assist hotel security. For more than an hour, no additional local law enforcement arrived, despite ongoing destruction.
#BREAKING: Far-left activists and Antifa militants are targeting a Home 2 Suites by Hilton at 2808 University Ave SE in Minneapolis. They suspect ICE agents are staying at this hotel. Total chaos has erupted. There is only one cop at this mob scene. @TPUSA|@choeshow pic.twitter.com/0uqs66doXA
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) January 26, 2026
The chaos didn’t stop there. Vehicles in the parking lot believed to be connected to ICE were vandalized. Guests and staff — people with absolutely nothing to do with immigration enforcement — were trapped inside a building under siege. Only after significant damage had already been done did local police finally arrive in force, announcing arrests and securing the location.
Calling this “peaceful protest” is not just inaccurate, it’s dangerous. This was harassment, stalking, assault, property destruction, and intimidation. It was a failure of basic law enforcement, and the delay in response is inexcusable. People in that hotel had a right to safety and peace. They didn’t get it.
BREAKING 🚨: anti-ice protestors have teared down through a hotel lobby where they believe ICE agents are sleeping at. No police presence outside a lone MPD officer. pic.twitter.com/SpBiugRNV5
— Anthony (@anthonycabassa) January 26, 2026
That failure rests squarely with Minnesota’s Democratic leadership, which has repeatedly signaled that it sympathizes more with the agitators than with enforcing the law. When leaders excuse lawlessness, they invite more of it. Minneapolis is now living with the consequences.
