Defending Rights & Dissent issued the following statement in response to news of federal agents killing a man in Minneapolis on January 24, 2026.
We have seen the horrific video of federal agents beating and needlessly shooting a U.S. citizen on the streets of Minneapolis. It is impossible to watch this video and not come away with the impression that this was an extrajudicial execution.
We are also deeply disturbed that as the people of Minnesota use their First Amendment rights to protest against the killing of their neighbor, they are being met with further violence from federal agents.
This killing is the product of a culture of impunity for federal agents and the Trump administration’s deliberate attempts to provoke violence in so-called “Blue” states and cities.
We call for a meaningful investigation of the officer for deprivations of Constitutional rights, as well as the respect for First Amendment rights. We call for an end to paramilitary style police roaming the streets of our country.