When the occupation of Minneapolis started nearly three weeks ago, I decided not to post about the situation, as everyone who reads this blog knows where I stand vis a vis Trump and his nightmare of an administration.

When Renee Good was murdered by an out of control ICE agent, with little regard for freedom and democracy, not to mention common decency, I again opted not to comment, even though it looks likely that her killer will not be punished or held to account in anyway.

I feel, however, that I must speak out about the brutal murder of Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse, who died while trying to help a woman who had been pushed to the ground by a mob of masked and armed ICE agents. These hooligans then turned on Pretti, wrestled him to the ground and shot him in cold blood. He had a gun, and a permit to carry it, but he never once threatened to use it. From the videos that I have seen it appears that Pretti was executed.

Lydia Polgreen of the NYT has called it an “extrajudicial execution by security forces. This is where we are: armed agents of the state killing civilians with an apparent belief in their total impunity.”

Yesterday, after Alex Pretti’s death, the son of a man Pretti had cared for at the VA hospital published a video of Pretti speaking at his father’s deathbed. “Today we remember that freedom is not free,” Pretti said. “We have to work at it, nurture it, protect it, and even sacrifice for it. May we never forget and always remember our brothers and sisters who have served so that we may enjoy the gift of freedom. So in this moment, we remember and give thanks for their dedication and selfless service to our nation in the cause of our freedom. In this solemn hour, we [give] them our honor, and our gratitude.”

I am grateful that the people of Minneapolis are out in the streets protesting this occupation, even in subzero weather. I am heartened that other smaller demonstrations throughout the country are happening as well. We can not let this violence become normal, and the Trump administration needs to be held accountable. I don’t think that it is trite or hackneyed to compare what’s happening in American cities like Minneapolis to Nazi Germany in the 1930s.