A shooting of a woman by the name of Renee Good from Minneapolis, which was officially classified as a homicide committed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent Jonathan Ross, has sparked controversy among the United States, causing protests to break out everywhere. LHS teachers and students are affected by the incident because of the locality of the protests which are occurring in Portland and even Lake Oswego.

Good’s death reached audiences worldwide, including Portland. Because of this, protests went on in Portland for a short period of time after. A second shooting has also caused more controversy in the United States, escalating the protests in Portland even more. This was a man by the name of Alex Pretti who ICE fired multiple shots at which were inevitably fatal. 

Good was killed on Jan. 7 and Pretti was killed on Jan. 24, just 17 days later. According to CNN, they were both U.S. citizens. 

Residents of Portland witness said protests and describe how it affects their day-to-day lives.

“When I occasionally drive by Sellwood, I see people gathered on the Sellwood Bridge,” said band teacher Daniel Hartley. “I see people holding signs that say stuff like ‘abolish ice.’”

Hartley described seeing protests around very often to the point where it was casual to witness them, although he stressed that they are not at all destructive. 

Junior Sasha McUne has participated in an even more local protest in Lake Oswego and commented on what the atmosphere was like. 

“The atmosphere was loud, but hopeful,” said McUne. “Everyone was there for the same thing and it was very positive despite the not positive thing we were protesting against.”

McUne attended a protest that was held here in Lake Oswego, which amplifies the locality of the protests. They not only reach the big city, but the suburbs of Portland which affect our own community that LHS students are a part of.