Protestors Call for Kristi Noem’s Firing in Palm Coast

A group of demonstrators gathered on Thursday to display one message to travelers on I-95 in Palm Coast: ‘FIRE NOEM’. The signs referred to Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security. Calls for her firing come after an agent with U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) fatally shot a U.S. citizen in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday. This has led to nationwide protests, including at the Matanzas Woods Parkway I-95 overpass on Thursday afternoon. The demonstration was described by organizers on-site as a ‘rapid response’ to Wednesday’s shooting. Among the instrumental parties was Flagler 50501, a group of political activists who mostly align themselves with Democratic Party politics and who oppose the presidency of Donald Trump. “We are not afraid to come out and say that this person did not need to die,” said Michaelle Harle, one of the organizers. The shooting victim, Renée Good, was 37 at the time of her death. Trump administration officials have claimed that she was a domestic terrorist and was intentionally accelerating her vehicle toward ICE agents before being shot three times in the head. Others who’ve watched the footage contend that Good was attempting to drive away, and was fired upon needlessly. This dispute has materialized largely along the dividing line between President Trump’s supporters and detractors. “If she was there on her own, she was doing it knowingly and willingly,” added Cindy Fox, commenting on the ongoing speculation as to whether or not Good was actively protesting ICE. “And if she did not know and was just caught up in the moment, that’s even sadder and should be more concerning for people on the streets.” The messaging of the demonstrators on Thursday were met with opposition from many passers-by. Though many drivers appeared to voice their support, it was roughly as common to hear shouts of disapproval, profanities, and middle fingers. An organized counter-protest did not form, and so there was no one on-hand to expand upon their reasons for disagreeing. But fortunately, all proceedings remained safe. A Florida Highway Patrol trooper stopped at one point to assure the demonstrators they were not violating the law, so long as they didn’t block traffic and their signs were not tethered to the chain link fence on the highway overpass. “There’s some people yelling or shouting obscenities,” added Eric Yonce, a Democratic congressional candidate who was in attendance. “But for the most part, I think people understand this for what it is.” Yonce expressed skepticism for Kristi Noem’s classification of Good as a ‘domestic terrorist’, as investigations into her death remain ongoing and it remains unclear whether she was acting in opposition to ICE.