By Lea Rush and Tavish Bryan
West Lafayette, IN – On Monday, January 12, over 100 protesters gathered at the busy intersection of State Street and Northwestern Avenue just outside of Purdue University campus to protest and grieve the brutal murders of Renee Nicole Good and Keith Porter, and the killings of Johnny Noviello and Ismael Ayala Urribr, who died in ICE detention from criminal medical neglect.
The protest was organized by the Purdue chapter of Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) with attendance from Purdue Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA), Greater Lafayette Democratic Socialists of America (GLDSA), Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), Greater Lafayette Immigrant Allies, and United Tippecanoe Rapid Response Network (UTRRN).
SDS member Reed Stoerck opened the protest, citing the furious anger at the murder of Good and Porter, and the killings of Uribe and Noviello, that have brought people out to the streets, and called on everyone to get organized.
The crowd, composed of students and community members, was impassioned and loud, gathering the attention of people on their commutes home, chanting “IDF, KKK, ICE, they’re all the same!” and “Jonathan Ross is a? Murderer!”
“In her glove compartment, there were no weapons, no explosives, but stuffed animals. Is this what a domestic terrorist would have in their glove compartment?” said Vincent Ferro, a Purdue freshman from Minneapolis who witnessed the cold-blooded murder of Renee Nicole Good. “What’s been going on in Minnesota is absolutely just disgusting. It’s heartbreaking.”
Melissa Hernandez, a Purdue student, told the crowd, while in tears, “My parents have been waiting 20 years for papers in this country. Never once have they committed a crime!” adding, “They are people too! They are human! They have emotions! We will not live like this and take it anymore!”
Another speaker, who identified themselves as undocumented, said, “I’m an illegal immigrant— I’m not scared to say that – I would like to thank you guys for coming out here. You guys are doing great. If you guys are scared of ICE, just know that we do have a God, and God is by our side, so do not be scared.”
The overall message of the night was to fight despair, get organized, and unite. Many speakers encouraged people to remain vigilant and fight complacency, with others calling for unity and organization.
ICE remains a constant threat to our lives and communities. The best way to fight back is to get organized. Purdue SDS will be hosting a new member meeting at Mad Mushroom on State Street, Thursday, January 22, at 5:30 p.m. Follow us @sdsatpurdue on Instagram.
#WestLafayetteIN #IN #ImmigrantRights #ReneeGood #SDS
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