Saturday night Gustav King couldn’t sleep.
Earlier that day, border patrol agents in Minneapolis fatally shot Alex Pretti, less than three weeks after federal agents killed Renee Good, according to the Associated Press. King, a civil and environmental engineering graduate student, was up until 3 a.m. thinking about Pretti and how “awful” what transpired earlier in the day was.
Sunday, King drove to Staples to buy posterboard and plastic sign holders. This morning, King set up a table in Cal Poly’s University Union with a photo of Pretti, multiple QR codes and two posterboards.
One poster said “Justice for Alex Pretti” and the other called for students to “contact representatives and demand action,” both in bold red letters. Whether or not students approached the booth, King tried to reach everyone in the UU with the same message.
“Email your senators, email your representatives,” King said. “Ask them for specific actions like banning face masks on federal agents, requiring badge numbers and body cameras. The more support they get from their citizens the more likely they are to do something.”
To King, having dialogue with the local government is one of the most important things citizens can do to enact change. Tomorrow, San Luis Obispo community members can do just that.
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San Luis Obispo residents have a chance to make their voices heard concerning recent ICE action in San Luis Obispo County on Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 1:30 p.m.
Residents can attend the Truth Act Report and Community Forum, which will break down the cooperation of the San Luis Obispo Sheriff’s Office with Immigration authorities, according to an Instagram post from the county of SLO.
The forum will take place in the Board of Supervisors Chambers at the Katcho Achadjian Government Center downtown and is set to highlight the Transparent Review of Unjust Transfers and Holds Act.
According to the TRUTH act, if a law enforcement agency permits ICE to access a person during the last year, the local governing body must hold a public forum in the following year to provide public information regarding ICE action in the community.
Theatre arts junior Alexander Hayden said the shooting of Pretti this past weekend was deeply disturbing. He feels that violent incidents like these are becoming more commonplace in the country’s current state of political unrest.
He says events like the public forum this Tuesday make him feel reassured as a student and a person.
“[It’s reassuring] that where I am going to college, the area I’m currently residing, that they are trying to make those steps towards having change happen,” Hayden said.
Community members who wish to give a public comment to the board can attend the forum in person or submit written comments to be addressed during the discussion. Comments issued virtually will not be reviewed by the board.
A live in person Spanish translator will be available at the meeting for those who wish to speak in person. Public written comments can be submitted by email to Boardofsups@co.slo.ca.us.