Alex Pretti, the man who was shot and killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents on Saturday, was an enthusiastic bicycle rider. Within hours of his murder, photos of him smiling on a dirt road holding his knobby-tired Surly began to circulate. Now the bike shop in Minneapolis he once frequented is helping organize a nationwide bike ride to honor Pretti and others who’ve had their lives ended and upended by Trump’s troops.
In a post on Instagram Monday, Angry Catfish Bicycle and Coffee wrote that Pretti was, “A kind and caring soul put on this earth to be the light for others.” “Although his light has been extinguished by this fascist regime, it hasn’t been lost,” the shop continued. “If anything, those sparks fell and ignited something in us that’s been hiding all along,”
In the past 24 hours, well over a dozen cities have announced rides to follow their lead. So far cyclists will roll together in: Richmond and Norfolk, Virginia; Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas, Texas; Bellingham, Washington; San Francisco, California; Wichita, Kansas; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The Portland ride is being organized by Golden Pliers Bike Shop. “This ride will be a vigil for those murdered by ICE, for the families that have been torn apart, a ride in solidarity with communities across this country,” wrote the shop on Instagram.
The Portland ride meets at 2:00 pm Saturday (January 31st) at Irving Park. Roll-out is 2:30. See the Shift Calendar for more details.
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Chicago is also riding.
Details for the memorial ride for Alex Pretti in Chicago this weekend.
– Meet at 1:15pm, Roll at 1:30pm
– John Walsh Park (E end of The 606)
– Route to come, we will roll @ party pace (casual, no drop) toward the VA on Damen where a memorial is set up for Alex.