Long Beach, CA - Renee Nicole Good Vigil/March January 8th, 2026

I attended the vigil and march for Renee Nicole Good at Long Beach Town Hall last night. It was heartening to see the community unite in remembrance and protest the brutal, extrajudicial killing of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Let’s call it what it was: murder.

We are facing an authoritarian government that acts as if it’s above accountability. ICE and other Homeland Security offshoots are hiring the worst candidates for law enforcement. Thousands of videos show their excessive force, illegal searches, and detentions without probable cause. Contrary to JD Vance and administration mouthpieces, they do not have immunity. If they commit murder in a state, that state has the right—and responsibility—to prosecute. Let’s hope they do.

Visible, loud, and large protests are essential, but clarity of purpose matters just as much. Last night’s organizers missed that mark. The focus should have remained on honoring Renee Nicole Good and condemning ICE and this administration’s unconstitutional actions. Instead, the event devolved into tired leftist talking points that alienate the very people we need to build a movement.

Chants like “defund the police” and “abolish the police” may feel edgy, but they do nothing to dislodge an authoritarian regime. If the goal is to look like a small radical group shouting on the roadside, mission accomplished—but the result will be the same as always: nothing. No candidate will win on an “abolish the police” platform. It’s politically toxic and counterproductive. Democrats have lost elections since 2020 partly because of this rhetoric, even when candidates like Biden didn’t endorse it.

I’m angry—angry at unaccountable secret police brutalizing and killing people, and angry at missed opportunities to build a broad, effective opposition. I’ll march with anyone who shares the common goal of ending this regime, but organizers squander chances when they alienate potential allies.

Last night’s action was only partially successful. Drivers on Ocean Blvd saw signs and heard chants, but the optics didn’t show a diverse enough coalition to grow the movement.

If we truly want change, we need discipline, strategy, and unity—not slogans that repel the very voters we need. The fight against authoritarianism will not be won by shouting into the void. It will be won by building a coalition big enough to hold power accountable. That starts now.