Between Friday (January 23) and now, as a cold front swept across the country, a succession of political developments unfolded.

On January 23, demonstrations were called in rejection of the murder of Renee Good and of the authoritarianism carried out by ICE in Minneapolis. That day differed qualitatively from previous moments of mobilization. First, the protests took place on a weekday, Friday. They also focused on specific demands: justice for Renee Good, the withdrawal of ICE from Minneapolis, and the abolition of the agency, which today operates as Trump’s political police. Finally, the mobilization brought to the surface the idea of a “general strike” as a response to the country’s authoritarian drift.

The January 23 call to action came from unions, community leaders, and grassroots movements in Minneapolis. The rallying slogan was “No work, no school, no shopping”—that is, a broad day of work stoppages, boycotts, and protests. In other words, a general strike, an experience the United States has not seen since the 1930s.

Reports indicate massive participation. Around 100,000 people marched in the city amid temperatures of about –9°F. Seven hundred small businesses did not open their doors. Protests spread throughout the day at strategic transportation and commercial sites, denouncing major corporations that financially collaborate with ICE. One hundred religious leaders were arrested while engaging in civil disobedience at the city’s airport.

The date took on a national character, with 250 protests across the country. In New York City, the streets were taken over by more than ten thousand demonstrators, with a strong presence of unions and organized workers—school and university teachers, service-sector, logistics, and health-care workers—as well as youth.

Thus, the Minneapolis general strike, backed by national solidarity, defined the political moment. But a new political development would take place the following morning, on January 24.

Indifferent to the protests and to mounting social anger, ICE agents killed another activist on the streets of Minneapolis. His name was Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and a nurse at a veterans’ health-care facility. The new killing followed a pattern similar to that of Renee Good. Pretti, like Good, was an anti-ICE activist who acted peacefully to defend communities targeted by repression and to denounce the practices of Trump’s political police. The killing was carried out in a cowardly manner. And once again, contradicting videos of the crime circulating on social media and in the mainstream press, federal authorities and Trump rushed to smear the victim and absolve the perpetrators. Once again, they blocked local (municipal and state) authorities from accessing the investigation.

On the same day, January 24, emergency protests took place in Minneapolis and nationwide. By Sunday (January 25), the largest snowstorm in ten years hit two-thirds of the country, making continued mobilization more difficult. Still, the scandal generated by Pretti’s killing dominated media coverage alongside the extreme weather event. Unlike the period following Good’s murder, a broader mobilization within the political and institutional superstructure now appears intent on stopping the violence, fearing it may spiral out of control. This includes some Republican politicians, Democratic heavyweights such as former President Barack Obama, the media, and segments of the private sector alarmed by the experience of the general strike and the spread of boycott campaigns.

In federal court, a lawsuit is underway seeking to force Trump to remove ICE from the city—just as, weeks earlier, the federal government was compelled to withdraw the National Guard from Chicago. Trump, however, shows no sign of backing down. In addition to continuing to smear the victims and obstruct investigations, on Monday (January 26), he announced the deployment of Tom Homan, known as the “border czar,” to Minneapolis. The White House continues to confront and order investigations into the mayor, the governor, and other local authorities.

The reactions within the political and institutional superstructure are nothing more than a reflection of the strength demonstrated by society from below. The level of social organization in Minneapolis—combining broad mobilizations with direct action at the local level—stands as an example for the entire country. January 23 gave concrete form to the idea of a “general strike,” which until then had existed only as an abstract call. At the same time, negotiated exits and appeals to moderation are finding less and less room in U.S. politics.

For these reasons, further struggles and actions will be necessary and are likely to unfold in the coming days.

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