When Cat Videos Become Protest Signs: How Reddit Turned Into a Digital Resistance Hub

A 40-second video of federal agents killing a Minneapolis man has done something unprecedented: it turned Reddit's most mundane communities into battlegrounds for political resistance.

On Saturday morning, a longtime Minneapolis resident shared footage of ICE agents tackling and shooting 37-year-old Alex Pretti outside Glam Doll Donuts. The video, titled "Another ICE murder in front of Glam Doll Donuts," rocketed to Reddit's homepage with over 60,000 upvotes. But what happened next reveals something profound about how digital resistance works in 2026.

From Donuts to Digital Uprising

The grainy footage shows agents beating Pretti before opening fire with at least 10 gunshots. A witness can be heard screaming, "Did they fucking kill that guy? Are you fucking kidding me dude? Not again." The agents who fired haven't been charged, nor has ICE agent Jonathan Ross, who killed Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good on January 7.

What started as a local tragedy became a global digital revolt. Within hours, anti-ICE posts dominated communities that normally focus on hobbies and entertainment. The cross-stitching subreddit's top post became a "Fuck ICE" embroidery. Stained glass artists created the same message in colorful glass. Even r/massivecock—primarily devoted to explicit content—saw users railing against ICE in their captions.

"I think it's just this awareness of the level of injustice taking place," says a r/Minneapolis moderator who's volunteered for nearly a decade. "They're testing things here. They're coming for you next."

The Architecture of Digital Resistance

What makes this phenomenon remarkable isn't just its scale, but its organic nature. These weren't coordinated campaigns or bot networks—they were authentic expressions of outrage spreading through Reddit's unique community structure.

The moderator of r/catbongos—a subreddit for playfully patting cats like bongos—posted an anti-ICE manifesto that became the community's *most-upvoted post ever*. "The nice thing about owning a subreddit is I can use it as my personal soapbox," the post began, before declaring Trump and ICE supporters unwelcome. Hundreds of users said they joined the community specifically because of this stance.

Even r/NFCNorthMemeWar, typically focused on football rivalry between Minnesota, Chicago, Detroit, and Green Bay, united against ICE. "The ruling on the field is that this is a meme football sub," read one top post. "HOWEVER… FUCK ICE and fuck any bootlicker who supports them."

When Traditional Boundaries Collapse

The backlash has transcended typical political divides. Republican House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer suggested Trump should pull ICE out of Minneapolis. Fox News host Maria Bartiromo said there was no evidence Pretti threatened law enforcement. Even the National Rifle Association—usually pro-Trump—called for a full investigation after learning Pretti was legally carrying a concealed weapon.

This cross-partisan response reflects a broader shift in public opinion. Before Trump's second term began, only 25% of Americans supported abolishing ICE. That number has jumped to 43% as unprecedented raids target blue cities.

The Human Cost of Moderation

r/Minneapolis moderators now work 20+ hours weekly without pay, filtering comments, banning trolls, and managing graphic content. One moderator who started volunteering a month ago has forced himself to take breaks after spending hours staring at screenshots from Pretti's shooting.

"You are literally dealing with the worst types of people," explains the longtime moderator. "They're trying to misrepresent what happened or just straight up make fun of them. They find it funny."

The emotional toll extends beyond content moderation. These volunteers live in the communities they're documenting. "I drive by there," the longtime moderator says of where Pretti was killed. "We go to get donuts. I eat pho a block away from there. That hurts. That's the knife twist."

Echoes of 2020, Amplified by Algorithm

The situation mirrors the aftermath of George Floyd's murder, which occurred just 17 blocks from where Pretti was shot. Both times, r/Minneapolis became a frontline for news, footage, and community resources. But this time feels different—more distributed, more organic, more unstoppable.

The difference lies in Reddit's evolution since 2020. The platform's recommendation algorithms now surface local content to global audiences more effectively. Community-specific cultures have matured, creating unique forms of political expression. A nail polish subreddit offers "dupes" to recreate the bright pink nails of a woman photographed confronting a right-wing influencer. Photography communities debate censorship policies around ICE documentation.

"Logically you're like 'Yeah, of course, people wouldn't post political stuff there,'" explains the newer r/Minneapolis moderator. "But the people who are moderating and using these communities are people and they're still seeing that content in other places and they're still wrestling with the moral questions of this time."