A socialist group invaded a Target store in Minneapolis. They obstructed the entrance and disrupted business. Another group entered a church and disrupted a service. While such actions aren’t nearly as bad as the violence ICE has perpetrated in the city, they violate people’s rights and discredit legitimate protest.

The people who disrupted Target declared, “If ICE can come in, we can come in.” You’d think people would be ashamed to lower themselves to ICE’s moral standards. As far as I can tell, Target isn’t guilty of anything more than cowardly silence. But a popular slogan on the left is “Silence is violence.” Someone who fails to say the things they want, they’d have you believe, is committing a violent crime, and they’re merely engaging in self-defense.

There’s an element in Minneapolis that is ready to use legitimate protests as cover for senseless destruction. This element burned Uncle Hugo’s Bookstore in 2020. A leader expressed indifference to the wrecking of local businesses. An opposing disreputable element used the destruction to try to discredit the protests. It’s impossible to prevent all such actions, but the people who genuinely object to ICE’s violations of people’s rights should draw a clear line and respect the property of others.

Again, the government’s actions are far worse. The disruptions in a store and a church amount to trespassing and disorderly conduct, not “domestic terrorism.” It’s especially telling that the government is focusing its ire not on the people who disrupted the church but a reporter covering the event. Reporters get in the way of the government’s ability to lie. But that’s not my focus in this post.

If people in a protest don’t respect the rights of others, stay away from them. If a protest you’re attending turns into an invasion of private property or obstruction of people’s legitimate activity, leave. There are better people you can join with.