Minneapolis’ Snow-Covered Streets Capture Modern American History
Smartphones have become the lenses through which the first draft of modern American history is being recorded in Minneapolis’ snow-covered streets. In recent weeks, everyday individuals have dispersed across the city to document protests and capture tense encounters with federal immigration officers. These citizens have also witnessed tragedy firsthand.
The fatal shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti were captured on shaky video by bystanders clutching smartphones in the frigid cold, standing within shouting distance of the victims. These cellphone recordings swiftly spread across social media platforms, shared repeatedly and scrutinized by journalists, politicians, lawyers, activists, and millions of people.
A Jan. 13 Quinnipiac University poll revealed that 82% of registered voters had seen video footage of the Good shooting, a figure that has likely increased since. While raw videos do not resolve all questions, they have formed the basis of public understanding regarding the killings.
“No longer confined to activism in community associations or local parties, many now feel that their only recourse when angry or appalled is to share images. This marks a new political ecosystem,” said Sherry Turkle, a clinical psychologist and MIT professor.
Turkle, who examines technology and the internet, posits that ordinary residents have been “tutored by digital culture.” “Their instinct is to prioritize image sharing,” she remarked.
The amateur videographers have thrust Trump’s controversial Operation Metro Surge into the national spotlight, elevating it as a central issue in the conversation. This has spurred bipartisan pushback, prompting the White House to remove a key law enforcement official from the city.
Recording immigration agents has emerged as a contentious act, regarded by some as a civic duty and by others as an obstacle to enforcement. In early July, before the intensified Minnesota operation began, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that violence against federal officers includes “videotaping them where they’re at” in the field. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, following Good’s killing, encouraged citizens to “take out that phone and hit record.”
Interactions between federal agents and activists often feature each side pointing smartphones at the other. “Help us create a database of the atrocities against Minnesotans,” Walz said, “not just to establish a record for posterity, but to gather evidence for future prosecution.”
Yet, these Minnesotans have documented more than chaos and violence. Protesters against Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Trump administration have also captured what they perceive as acts of injustice, preserving a multifaceted narrative of their experiences.
