Athens area residents were among those joining in the nationwide protests voicing opposition to actions by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE. One of the local gatherings was held at the University of Georgia Arch. Jessica Hunt was one of the attendees.
“Even immigrants who have asylum appointments and green card appointments, you know, they’re grabbing them and whisking them away and sometimes their family members don’t even know where they are for months,” Hunt said. “It’s all really atrocious and then when you add on top of that, the recent murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, it is heartbreakingly, terrifyingly awful.”
Those sentiments were echoed by Betsey Vonk and Randall Young.
“I believe that most people would be horrified by what’s happening in Minneapolis if they really understood the illegality and evil that’s occurring there,” according to Vonk.
“Because I think that it’s happening in Minneapolis and it can happen anywhere,” Young said.
Jodie Kamdoum says the situation in Minneapolis is part of a much larger issue.
“We see the cases of Renee Good, [and] Alex Pretti being killed, but there are also many others being unjustly taken and I believe this is a nationwide issue,” said Kamdoum.
Rallies were also held at the Tate Student Center and at Clarke County High Schools.
