Eyes on the street: Chicago’s memorial bike ride for fallen VA nurse Alex Pretti
This afternoon, despite snow and temperatures in the 20s, perhaps hundreds of Chicagoans took to the streets for a bicycle parade honoring Alex Pretti. A week ago, the 37-year-old VA nurse was shot to death by federal agents in conjuction with Trump’s Operation Metro Surge immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
“Join us today to ride in memory of Alex Pretti and in solidarity with Minnesota in the fight against fascism,” posted Better Streets Chicago. They thanked Chicago, Bike Grid Now! and a Adam Babbel, who posts at @babski.bsky.social, for organizing the event.
Here are some images I took during the ride from the east end of the Bloomingdale Trail, aka The 606, to the memorial to Pretti at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, 820 S. Damen Avenue in the Illinois Medical District. Near the end is a closing speech by Better Streets Executive Director Kyle Lucas, ending with crowd chants of “F— ICE!”
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