Skaters turn out to protest ICE on Atlanta Beltline
About 100 people gathered at a skate park along the Atlanta Beltline in bitterly cold conditions to promote peace and condemn the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, in the wake of two fatal shootings by federal agents in Minneapolis last month.
Protesters on roller skates, Rollerblades and skateboards met at 1 p.m. at Thomas Taylor Memorial Skatepark for the “Skaters Against ICE and War” rally to express their opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
They held signs with slogans like “Abolish ICE” and “Immigrants make America great” and “We prefer crushed ICE.”
“These criminal ICE agents are terrorizing our communities,” said Samantha Hamilton, a 31-year-old civil rights attorney, just before the event started. “They’re kidnapping people from their homes. They’re kidnapping children. They’re killing people in cold blood in the street.”
She added: “We’re here to remind ICE that the streets belong to the people. The streets don’t belong to these terrorists.”
The fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents in January were top of mind for Sunday’s protesters.
Amira Subaey drew cheers as she told the crowd that regular, ordinary people can bring about a revolution that leads to real change.
“We will not allow ICE to murder people in the street, just as we will now not allow police to murder people in our streets,” Subaey said.
Maya Phillips, 24, also spoke during the rally, representing Shades of Sk8, a skating group for women of color.
“I implore us to stand in solidarity with all people who are being targeted by this administration,” she told the crowd.
“Do not sit idly by watching democracy crumble before it’s too late. Do not think it’s not your problem because you are a U.S. citizen. This is everyone’s problem and everyone’s responsibility to stop.”
Soon after Phillips spoke, the long column of protesters skated away along the Beltline’s Eastside Trail.
About the Author
Reed Williams is an enterprise reporter on the Local team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
