In the wake of a tragic incident in Minnesota, where a protester was shot and killed after allegedly attempting to run over ICE agents, a widespread network of far-left activist groups quickly rallied, advocating for causes that span from communism to climate action.

The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, was 37 years old, according to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. The shooting occurred as she sat in her car shortly after 11 a.m. ET. Federal officials reported that she had attempted to drive over ICE agents, who were part of a substantial force of 2,000 personnel deployed to the Twin Cities with the mission of apprehending and deporting individuals with illegal immigration statuses and criminal backgrounds.

In response to the incident, President Trump took to Truth Social to express his views, having reviewed footage of the event. “It is a horrible thing to watch,” he remarked. He described the woman involved as a “professional agitator” and characterized her actions as disorderly and obstructive, noting that the ICE officer’s response appeared to be in self-defense after she allegedly attacked.

Immediately following the shooting, a coalition of activist organizations took to social media to denounce ICE, sharing posts that condemned the actions of the agency. Prominent groups such as Minnesota 50501, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and Refuse Fascism were among those voicing their opposition.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that the woman suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was later declared dead at Hennepin County Medical Center.

Almost immediately, groups with causes as diverse as socialism, communism, climate change, Palestinian rights and the Democratic Party launched what seemed to be coordinated protests online and in American streets, using similar language. The effort from left-wing groups with no obvious shared cause echoed protests over the weekend, when many of the same groups sprang into action in the hours following the U.S. capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro.

“It’s the same network of people that have thousands of Americans blocking the streets, waving communist and terrorist flags and attacking law enforcement and innocents,” said Brandy Shufutinsky, director of the Education and National Security Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “They are stoking the grievance industry that they built.”

Members of law enforcement work the scene following a suspected shooting by an ICE agent during federal operations on January 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty)

While authorities said an investigation was underway, the protest groups were quick to brand the killing a murder. A sentiment analysis of relevant social media posts by left-wing groups showed the graphic and emotional language used in the posts was designed to provoke moral outrage and mobilize people to take to the streets. For example, posts told people to “get in the streets now,” “hit the streets” and “get to the White House ASAP.”

“The state is the enemy, the state is the murderer! Resistance is justified,” wrote Fight for a Future, an organization who openly advocates communism.

At 1:24 p.m., the National Alliance against Racist and Political Repression, a fixture in left-wing protests, announced an “emergency rally” in New York City’s Foley Square for Thursday. The rally was also promoted by a group dubbing itself “NYC ICE Watch.”

Indivisible, the Democratic Party-aligned nonprofit and PAC that was at the forefront of protests against Tesla and the Trump administration, shared a picture on Instagram of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees ICE, with two Xs over eyes, a symbol often used to portray someone as dead.

“Kristi Noem get the f*ck out of NYC right now,” the post read in both English and Spanish. The post was shared by 50501, a newly established organization that played a lead role in the #NoKings protest against President Trump.

“EMERGENCY ALERT. THIS IS AN ALL HANDS ON DECK MOMENT!” wrote 50551 on Instagram at 11:50 a.m.

Indivisible’s post echoed the language of Frey, who had moments earlier called on ICE to “get the f— out of Minneapolis.”

At 2:44 p.m., Refuse Fascism, a socialist organization active in protests against Israel and the Trump administration, posted a message on Instagram decrying the incident.

“From Venezuela to the streets of Minneapolis, the trump [sic] regime murders and demonizes whole peoples and countries without any pretense of the rule of law,” the group wrote.

At 3:33 p.m., the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s Columbus, Ohio, called for an “emergency protest from Columbus to Minneapolis.”

“ICE out! ICE has murdered a legal observer in Minneapolis,” the Instagram post read. “We fight back!”

At 3:06 p.m., the Palestinian Youth Movement, which organized campus protests following the Oct. 7 massacre of Israelis by Hamas, weighed in.

“The time is rise and resist is now (sic),” the group posted on Instagram.