Business leaders urged to speak out after federal killing of Alex Pretti

Businessinsider: America's business leaders have been overwhelmingly silent after federal agents shot and killed protester Alex Pretti on a Minneapolis street on Saturday.

Peter Kafka says that reticence is understandable — fear of angering Donald Trump and his supporters, the administration's pressure on institutions such as law firms, colleges, and media companies, and the risk of consumer backlash — but inadequate. He urges leaders not to resort to corporate theatre, but simply to say they condemn masked federal agents killing protesters, and suggests they could call for accountability or a truly independent investigation.

Shortly after the shooting, Trump administration officials described Pretti as a "would-be assassin" who "wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement," characterizations the piece calls without evidence; Trump posted a photo of a gun and said "ICE had to protect themselves — Not an easy thing to do!" and told the Wall Street Journal the administration was "reviewing everything" while saying his agents had done a "phenomenal job." Kafka acknowledges real risks for companies that speak out, but argues the greater risk is silence, which tacitly permits the government to carry on, and urges leaders to act now.

Key Topics

Business, Alex Pretti, Donald Trump, Minneapolis, Ice, Trump Administration