Jerry Stoecklein was bundled in a hat, gloves and scarves on cold, blustery Saturday afternoon. It was the first time the avid Wauwatosa bike rider took his bicycle out this winter.
He, like the scores of other riders who gathered at Milwaukee’s City Hall, wanted to pay homage to another biker killed while protesting the actions of immigration agents in Minnesota and the direction of the country under the Trump administration.
“This is the year to kind of resist what the current administration is doing,” said Stoecklein, 42, whose father lives in Minnesota. “People need to see that there are people out here who care about each other.”
Stoecklein was among more than 500 riders gathered at City Hall for a unity ride in memory of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old Minneapolis resident shot by federal agents Jan. 24.
Critical Mass MKE hosted the gathering in solidarity with a Minneapolis bike shop that, days after Pretti’s death, issued a call to action on social media for the cycling community to organize a unity ride in his honor.
Angry Catfish Bicycle Shop, where Pretti was a regular customer, spearheaded the memorial ride.
“Alex was one of us, could’ve been any of us, so as we mourn, all of us can come together in unity to remember Alex for what he was,” the Instagram post read. “They can’t take us all.”
Cycling groups, bike shops, nonprofits and ordinary individuals heeded the call.
The Milwaukee ride was one of hundreds of unity rides occurring nationally and internationally. The rides were set to occur in Ireland, London, Germany, Finland and Belgium, according to BikePacking.com.
The Milwaukee ride started at City Hall, snaking a 10-mile route to the Riverwest neighborhood and ending on the corner of East Center and North Pierce Streets. It’s a symbolic gesture to honor Pretti, who grew up in Green Bay but participated in the Riverwest24, a community-led 24-hour bike ride through the Riverwest neighborhood.
Organizers read a letter from Pretti’s friends and Riverwest24 teammates, saying Pretti believed in a world of peace and riding was his safe place.
Pretti was killed by U.S. Border Patrol agents after coming to the aid of a woman pushed to the ground by a federal agent. He was sprayed with what appeared to be a chemical irritant, then shot.
Federal officials alleged Pretti was carrying a gun he intended to use to “kill law enforcement.” Videos from bystanders and a witness account do not show Pretti brandishing a weapon when he approached agents.
Pretti, a U.S. citizen, had a concealed carry permit for his firearm and no criminal record.
The shooting happened just blocks away from where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed Renee Nicole Good less than three weeks prior.
Tory Elliott, 34, of South Milwaukee, rode on Jan. 31 with her two children, Autumn Mertz, 9, and Sage Mertz, 8. Her kids have accompanied her on many protest rallies as far back as Black Live Matter marches. Just recently they participated in a student walkout in South Milwaukee.
“I think it is important my kids see action and see people standing up for what they believe in,” Elliott said.
Like many at the ride, Chance Gordon, 28, a Riverwest resident, believes ICE and other federal agents have gone too far and are terrorizing citizens. But Saturday’s main goal was to honor Pretti and the other victims killed by federal agents.
“It is important to show solidarity,” Gordon said. “I think people all over the United States are starting to feel the same way, and it is kind of hard to ignore this now. No matter how far away you think this terror is going on, it is closer to home than ever.”
Hope Karnopp contributed to this article. She can be reached at HKarnopp@usatodayco.com.
(This story was updated to meet our standards.)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Hundreds of cyclists join memorial ride to honor Alex Pretti in Milwaukee
Reporting by La Risa R. Lynch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
