By Mike McCombs
The Island News
More than 350 people gathered Saturday, Jan. 10, in front of Beaufort City Hall at the intersection of Boundary Street and Ribaut Road to protest the Wednesday, Jan. 7, killing of 37-year-old Renee Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis.
The “ICE Out For Good” protest in Beaufort was held on short notice – word began to spread about the event on Thursday night – as part of a National Day of Action touted by organizers “to demand justice, accountability and an end to deadly ICE lawlessness and cruelty.”
Like the smaller weekly Monday protests, as well as the larger “No Kings” protests that saw more than 1,000 people turn out each time to demonstrate in June and October, the “ICE Out” protest was supported by a number of organizations, including the Democratic Party, Indivisible Beaufort, and several others.
Beaufort’s Ben Barnes had previously been on the fence about taking part in any of the previous protests. According to Barnes, 65, Good’s killing was “kind of the tipping point.”
“You live in a country for 65 years, you grow up working your whole life, and everything goes pretty good,” Barnes said. “And now, I have to protest my government? That’s why I’m here. I mean, they’re shooting [Americans]. … I absolutely don’t like the direction things are [going in] here.”
Barnes said it’s a mistake to characterize him as a liberal or a Democrat, that he grew up basically politically independent.
“I still am. But you know, there’s also right and wrong,” Barnes said. “[My] dad’s a preacher. I grew up a preacher’s kid, and you know, what sticks in your mind is what’s good. Yeah, it’s good to walk humbly, love justice, you know, practice right, practice goodness and … take care of your neighbor. … People individually are doing that, but, you know, our government doesn’t doesn’t seem to be in favor [of that]. They feel like it’s better to divide us.”
Beaufort’s Chad Rentz, 49, said taking part in the protest was important to him for the sense of human connection it provides.
“Honestly, like, I’ve really been struggling. I’ve been struggling with what’s going on. It’s been heavy and [there have] been, lots of tears, lots of sadness, and I need this. Like, I need it!” said the Lowcountry Montessori teacher originally from Greenwood. “I don’t know how much demonstrations like this actually do for change, but what it does for me is it connects me with other human beings who are like minded like me. And for me, I need to see my community. I need to see the people around me who believe in good so that I can kind of be OK, especially in these times.”
Rentz said he believes – and he’s scared – that the violence coming from ICE against civilians, U.S. citizens or not, will not just continue, but escalate.
“We just funded this secret police, and it’s just gathering some momentum. Like, they’re just getting it together. They’re just figuring out ice and how it’s going to impact, what they can do to destroy our communities.” Rentz said. “And … they’re completely funded, more funded, than any other law enforcement agency in the United States. They have more money.
“And, like our Vice President said, he said that they have absolute immunity. Absolute immunity. Can you imagine the unchecked power of an officer on the street with absolute immunity? And what that person is going to do and how he’s going to take it out on others? I guess it’s really like opening Pandora’s box, and I think we’re in for a world of hurt. I really do.”
Aside from the number of protesters, the most visible difference between this and previous protests in the same location was the quality of law enforcement officers in the vicinity. At most of these events, the Beaufort Police have a couple of officers present. This time, the police presence approached double digits, including Chief Stephenie Price.
There were no incidents, according to the police.
Though it’s impossible to accurately interpret the intent of blowing horns, the majority of passers-by seemed to show solidarity with the groups gathered behind the sidewalks at the intersection. But there were the occasional obscene gestures or expletives directed at the protesters.
“From my experience, … people who are wanting to interject in that way, like, they’re not open,” Rentz said. “They’re not wanting to have discussions. They’re not willing to hear or see what’s going on. So I just don’t have time for that. I don’t give it much energy.”
One motorist in a foreign sedan slowed considerably and repeatedly told protesters to, “get a job.”
“Well, I mean, you know, a flip response would be, I do have a job,” Barnes said. “But the other thing is, you know, … you do you, I’ll do me. And I’ll do what I think is right. You do what you think is right. If you can sleep, cool.”
Mike McCombs is the editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
