The NSW Nurses and Midwives’ Association (NSWNMA) condemns the killing of ICU nurse, Alex Pretti, on the streets of Minneapolis. Healthcare workers make it their mission to care for and save the lives of all people- no matter who they are. This is what it means to be a nurse and a midwife.
Footage which has been widely circulated shows Pretti was holding a phone, that he was acting in defence of a woman who had been attacked by President Donald Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, and that he was shot multiple times by ICE agents.
This is the latest in a number of violent actions by ICE agents to enact clearly racist policies. The deportation and incarceration of immigrants, the false imprisonment that is occurring based on the colour of people’s skin, workplaces and homes being raided, people being snatched on the streets, protesters being killed, seriously wounded and imprisoned, and Trump’s racism – these must all be resisted by workers and their communities.
The NSWNMA congratulates the union, civil society organisations, and businesses that called for, and held, a general strike in Minnesota. The coming together of collective organisations is the only way that Trump can be defeated. This is a clear example of why our right to protest here must always be defended, and that right ought to be enacted without fear or violence by authorities.
We call on progressive governments and political parties, including the Albanese Government, to make clear and unequivocal statements condemning the actions of ICE agents and condemning the Trump administration who continues to lie and embolden the indiscriminate actions of ICE agents. The Australian government should withdraw support and partnerships with the United States (US) until such time that ICE agents are off the streets and the rule of law is returned.
We celebrate the actions of New York State Nurses Association members in New York City who continue to strike for fair pay. The absence of effective action by governments and employers in addressing the basic needs of workers is creating the division upon which Trump is preying. Attacking migrants is not the answer to improved wages, working conditions or cost of living. To stay silent on the events in the US is to embolden the fascists in our own country who are seeking to create the same divisions.
We will always stand up for workers’ rights, for unity and diversity, and global action against injustice and racism.
We stand in solidarity with US workers, the Minneapolis community and organisations that are opposing Trump’s ideology, whether that be in the streets, or in their workplaces.
