Indivisible Highlands and Beyond, a local group affiliated with the national Indivisible political action group, organized the protest following the ICE-involved shooting and death of Renee Nicole Good on January 7th, It was as part of the nationwide “ICE out for good weekend of action” movement.
Irene Bojczuk, head marshall of safety with the Indivisible Highlands and Beyond group, says these protests hit close to home for her and her family history.
“My parents are from Ukraine, and they both fought for the freedom to exist as a country, as a people, as a culture, as a language." she said, in tears. "And it needs to be defended. Freedom is not free, freedom always needs to be stood up for. So that’s my job.”
Activists assert that ICE incidents are not isolated, arguing that they’ve become part of a “predictable pattern of lawless behavior.”
Indivisible Highlands and Beyond organizer Elaine Swift.
“I think what brought it all together is people’s horror at what’s happening. The slaughtering of innocent people. I mean, just outright murder by state agents. It’s terrifying.” she said.
Swift says the last weeks shooting and this event are deeply personal to her as well.
"My family is a multi-racial family; I have two daughters that are Guatemalan. I'm scared to death that they could be killed by ICE" she said.
Since the shooting, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said that Good was instigating and impeding law enforcement, calling her a "professional instigator” and that she’d weaponized her vehicle in the exchange, causing the use of force.
Indivisible Highlands and Beyond officials says they haven't received any push back from local law enforcement or any counter protestors so far. Bojczuk says even if they did, it's important to keep the demonstrations non-violent.
"I don't know that violence is the answer when what you're talking about is treating each other as human beings with dignity. That everyone deserves dignity and respect. That everyone in this country deserves due process. Why would you want to bring it to violence, what solution is that?" she said. "If there were violence [the administration] would know how to respond to us. But with non-violence and community and connection, that's actually undermining their entire agenda"
Indivisible Highlands and Beyond estimated the Wilmington protest comprised over 600 people- something Swift says is larger than their weekly protests, but still not the largest turn out they’ve had.
Swift has been part of protests with Highlands and Beyond at least once a week for the past few months, She says the group plans to continue protesting as the need arises.
