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Across the United States, people are striking today to protest President Donald Trump's immigration policies and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown in Minnesota. The protest comes after ICE shot and killed Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good.
The general strike, or National Shutdown, calls on people to avoid work, school, and shopping in protest. “The people of the Twin Cities have shown the way for the whole country – to stop ICE’s reign of terror, we need to SHUT IT DOWN,” reads the official website. “On Friday, January 30, join a nationwide day of no school, no work and no shopping.”
If you are keen to show support and don't know where to start, here are some practical solutions – backed by key organisations.
The statement continues: “The entire country is shocked and outraged at the brutal killings of Alex Pretti, Renee Good, Silverio Villegas González, and Keith Porter Jr. by federal agents. While Trump and other right-wing politicians are slandering them as ‘terrorists’, the video evidence makes it clear beyond all doubt: they were gunned down in broad daylight simply for exercising their First Amendment right to protest mass deportation. Every day, ICE, Border Patrol and other enforcers of Trump’s racist agenda are going into our communities to kidnap our neighbours and sow fear. It is time for us to all stand up together in a nationwide shutdown and say enough is enough!”
What is a general strike?
A general strike is a mass movement of protest in which workers withdraw their labour across multiple industries. The purpose of the movement is to halt economic activity and place pressure on employers or, in this case, the government, to demand social change. This general strike asks people to also avoid school and spending money.
Who called for the general strike?
The movement isn't led by one specific group but rather by activists across the country. The strike is endorsed by a range of associations, unions and activist groups, including the Minnesota Immigrant Movement, Palestinian Youth Movement, Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR), Immigrant Rights Alliance GA, ANSWER Coalition and others.
Guests honoured Renee Macklin Good and Keith Porter at the Golden Globes.
Celebrities taking part in the general strike
Actor Pedro Pascal of The Last of Us has been a vocal supporter of the strike, sharing an Instagram post in support of the shutdown.
Hacks' Hannah Einbinder has also shown her support, writing, “withholding our labour and capital is our most effective leverage. national shutdown spread the word! @generalstrikeus.socal.”
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Actor Jamie Lee Curtis also shared an Instagram post voicing her support of a strike.
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Many other celebrities have spoken out against ICE. Both Natalie Portman and Olivia Wilde wore “ICE out” badges during recent appearances at the Sundance Film Festival.
“I could not be prouder to be American right now, by the way the Americans are acting. And I could not be sadder to be American right now with the way the government is behaving,” Portman told Deadline at the festival.
Meanwhile, Wilde said, “It’s really difficult to be here and to be celebrating something so joyous and beautiful and positive when we know what’s happening on the streets. Americans are out on the streets marching and demanding justice, and we’re there with them.”
Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Amanda Seyfried, Cynthia Nixon and Mark Ruffalo have all also made statements condemning the ICE crackdown.
Ruffalo wrote on BlueSky: “Cold-blooded murder in the streets of the USA by an occupying military gang, creating havoc. We have fought wars in other countries for less than this.”
If you are keen to show support and don't know where to start, here are some practical solutions – backed by key organisations.
