By Kyle Werner, Des Moines Register
More than 150 bicyclists came together in Des Moines on Saturday, Jan. 31 to ride their bikes in remembrance of Alex Pretti.
Pretti, who was shot and killed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis on Saturday, Jan. 24, frequented the trails in the Twin Cities. Minneapolis-based Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop, where Pretti was a customer, organized a local remembrance ride and encouraged cyclists across the nation to do the same.
In Des Moines, community cyclists and the Des Moines Street Collective organized the ride from Union Park to the Iowa State Capitol. Rides also were held in Cedar Rapids, Ida Grove and Iowa City, according to Pinkbike, which said more than 100 rides were scheduled nationwide and in Europe on Saturday.
“All of us can come together in unity to remember Alex for what he was — a kind and caring soul put on this earth to be a light for others,” organizers said in a news release ahead of the ride. “Although his light was extinguished, the spark he left behind has ignited something in us that’s been hiding all along. We are stronger together — and they can’t take us all.”
The sun greeted cyclists on the 5-mile round trip ride on a cold 26-degree day. The group held a moment of silence at the Capitol before heading back to Union Park.
“This isn’t just Minneapolis-focused,” said Dylan Lyons, an organizer of the bike ride. “They’re our neighbors to the north, and we feel what they’re feeling … it ripples outward and communities, like Des Moines, feel the responsibility to show up.”
Lyons said the event is to remember and honor Pretti, but also to “be there for each other during these dark times.”
“This isn’t just about a bike ride or one single person, it’s about community,” Lyons said. “It’s remembrance and refusing to let another person be another death. … We just want them to be honored for standing up to the tyranny of it all and for trying to bring light in a dreary time.”
The shooting of Pretti, 37, came as he confronted federal agents in the city as part of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement operation. Federal officials alleged Pretti was carrying a gun he intended to use to “kill law enforcement.” Videos from bystanders — and a witness account in court filings — do not show Pretti brandishing a weapon when he approached agents.
Cindy Pearson, a cyclist from West Des Moines, said she joined the ride because “this is an exponential expression that people care. It really sends a message that everyone has their eyes on what’s going on and it’s not OK.”
Ethan Lindsey, 25, of Des Moines, decided to walk along with the cyclists.
“We’re supposed to be out here doing this,” Lindsey said. “We’re supposed to be able to do stuff like this and exercise our freedoms and not be afraid.”
Josh Mandelbaum, Des Moines City Council member at-large, said the ride was about “standing with our community.” Council members Rob Barron and Carl Voss also spoke to the crowd.
“It’s about standing up for our shared values, about standing up for what the country has been and should continue to be,” Mandelbaum said at Union Park before they took to the trail. “Alex lived his values, caring for others in his day job as an ICU nurse caring for our veterans. He lived his values out on the streets of Minneapolis last weekend.”
Barron, who represents Ward 1, told the group of cyclists: “We’re here to honor someone whose life was taken because he stood up for what’s right.”
“But we can’t stop,” Barron continued. “Whether it’s now, tomorrow, the next … we’re working not just to remember someone, but to build a better world. We can do better.”
The two border patrol officers who shot Pretti were later placed on administrative leave. Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino also was replaced in Minnesota by White House border czar Tom Homan amid backlash following the deadly shooting.
Pretti’s death came after Renee Good was shot and killed by border patrol officers on Jan. 7 in Minneapolis. Good’s death sparked a weekend-long protest in Minneapolis.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump visited Iowa on Tuesday, Jan. 27, drawing about 2,000 protesters who spoke out against the president and the killings in Minnesota.
“Unbeknownst to the public, we have brought down crime very substantially in Minnesota,” Trump said in his speech. “We’ve taken out thousands of hard criminals — hardened, vicious, horrible criminals.”
The United States Department of Justice said it launched a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s killing on Friday, Jan. 30.
Stay in the know with stories that matter — visit HolaAmericaNews.com for the latest news, culture, and community updates!
Facebook Comments