On Feb. 1, people of the local community and from seven different counties surrounding Warrensburg gathered on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the recent actions of the Trump Administration as a whole. The protest was the second of its kind hosted by Burg Resist since the beginning of 2026, with the previous taking place after the death of Renne Nicole Good on Jan. 7.
“Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse at the VA in Minneapolis and the kind of man that wanted to help others. He was outraged at what was happening in his community and he showed up eight days ago, seems like eight months ago, to protest and protect,” said Angela Palmer, president of Citizens for Environmental Action and speaker at the protest.
On Jan. 24, just four days after Burg Resist announced Stand up Sunday, Alex Jeffrey Pretti was shot and killed by United States Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis. The shooting came only 17 days and six blocks away from where Good was shot and killed earlier in the month.
“We saw a cell phone in one hand and the other reaching to help a stranger, and we saw Border Patrol disarm a man and execute him,” said Sarah Carey, another speaker at the protest, on the topic of Pretti’s death.
As of Jan. 30, the US Department of Justice launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Pretti and the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the 37-year-old’s death to be a homicide. Against this national backdrop of federal scrutiny and heightened concern over public safety, local advocates have framed the case as part of a broader struggle over justice and accountability.
“As the author James Baldwin warned us, if they come for me in the morning, they’re coming for you tonight. So when you see murders, execution-style on our streets in broad daylight, we say to them, ‘stand up and fight back,’” said Steve Ciafullo, founder of Burg Resist.
In addition to Burg Resist, a secondary group called Warrensburg Community Defense is organizing ICE interventions. Warrensburg Community Defense plans to provide education about rights, rapid response and community outreach, including grocery runs, childcare assistance and other resources to those who might be scared to leave their homes. Those interested can reach out to Burg Resist’s Facebook page for more information and to sign up.
“Keep protesting. This right here demonstrates that we still have power and it shows the rest of the world where we stand. Keep calling members of Congress, find out where to ethically send your money and where not to,” said Palmer.
The next protest organized by Burg Resist is planned for March 28, the third nationwide, “No Kings Day”. A time has yet to be announced but the protest will take place on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn like the previous two.
“You can feel it here today, so let’s send a strong message today to the American Mussolini,” said Ciafullo. “Masks off, guns down, kick ICE out of town.”
