BILLINGS — More than a dozen people gathered Thursday on the Yellowstone County Courthouse lawn to protest the U.S. military strike in Venezuela and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, describing the action as unjustified and calling for an end to what they described as unlawful military operations.
News that U.S. forces had struck targets in Venezuela and captured Maduro last week sparked reactions from demonstrators who said the move violated international law and threatened global stability.
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With signs and chants like “Free Maduro, free him now!” and “ICE out of our neighborhoods!”, the participants vocalized their dissatisfaction not only with foreign policy, but also with recent domestic enforcement actions. One chant echoed concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
“We're protesting here today because Trump has launched yet another illegal war, this time on the nation of Venezuela,” said organizer Lain Dorsey. “Trump has made it perfectly clear that the entire reason that the U.S. is going to war with Venezuela is for Venezuela's oil.”
The protest was organized by a local chapter of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization (FRSO), a national group of socialist revolutionaries. Dorsey described the military action as a violation of international law.
"Trump has called Nicolás Maduro a dictator, but he's acting like a dictator by sending out his ICE thugs to kidnap men, women, and children, children from schools, and to murder civilians in broad daylight," said Dorsey. "It's absolutely shameful."
They also expressed fear that the administration's policies, both abroad and at home, could impact ordinary people, including residents of Billings.
"Trump isn't just going to war with Venezuela. He's going to war with members of our community. Our neighbors are being affected right now by his administration," said Dorsey. "ICE is murdering U.S. civilians, and it could be someone in Billings next, very easily.”
Organizers said they plan to gather more protests in the future.
