Recently I explained why I didn’t go to a protest despite the abuses of ICE in Minneapolis. I gave my reasons, but there was a lie of omission; another reason I didn’t join the protestors—for the feelings I have toward them. I’ve been put off by protestors in recent years, or at least the coverage of them. They seem loud, violent, and judgmental with no interest seeing issues in shades of gray. But the incursions of ICE have forced me to reckon with my presumptions. Despite the actions of some, I resolve now to see the charity and good will from protestors who have carried the torch of a worthy cause in Minnesota.

My bias against protestors may come in part from our differences in personality. It’s against my instincts to cause a scene while the protests are designed for public disapproval—to turn heads and cause disruptions. While I think my personality has won me a wealth of peace through life from unnecessary conflicts, I may not challenge the status quo as others do. So there may be mere differences in agreeableness that show who goes to protests while others stay at home. Myers-Briggs and Enneagram types would have more insight, and it’s something to think about as I now challenge the images I have of protestors.

At the same time, my feelings also come from the cruel characterizations of protestors by right-wing media. I try to follow current events with balance, and there’s no doubt that all sides sneer at others with name-calling and moral condemnations. But the work on the Right to demonize protestors has felt relentless. They’re stupid. Extreme. They’re snowflakes. They’re violent. They killed Charlie Kirk. They, they, they—pundits judging the hearts and minds of millions for the actions of a few who made the news. It’s no wonder we come to hate each other. We chuckle at the jokes of content creators while our contempt for others swell.

In fairness though, there are protestors who seem to fit the bill for the stereotypes that media feed us. For weeks now, the disruption of a church service by Don Lemon and Black Lives Matter has been part of the national narrative of ICE in Minnesota. The protestors appeared to prove every presumption I’ve held. The unproductive chants raising chaos. The unnecessary disruption of people’s Sundays. The self-righteousness and condemnations of every church attender. Right-wing media gleefully took the event to paint all protestors as aggressive jerks. “They’re invading our churches now”—making the event become a great distraction for the public. Why should we care about ICE if we have people like this? Again, we make our perceptions, and the political battles wage.

For a less famous example of protestors rubbing me the wrong way, I recall an incident in Minneapolis a few years ago. Police killed a man who was shooting into the apartment of a family. Despite the mother and children ducking for cover, Black Lives Matter showed up to protest on behalf of … the shooter. The mother tried to explain the situation to them—that they would all be dead without the police. But someone yelled, “At least you’re still here,” and the protestors stayed put. It was an absurdity; the appearance of people having no ability to have empathy for the mother. Because police=bad, and that’s the end of it. Even with heroic actions, BLM and others will condemn them, and I’ve recoiled from their judgments.

So I’ve held such assumptions for years, but I have come to see the beauty of my neighbors’ actions as ICE has patrolled the streets. There were the 50,000 who protested peacefully on January 23rd. There’s the thousands of dollars my small church donated to charities for families too afraid to work. The drivers who delivered the goods. The residents who gave the funds. The volunteers who have watched our schools, and the neighbors who make sure people know they’re not alone. These are the Helpers, as Mister Rogers once called them. The ones to look for in distress. The ones we can hold in high regard. The ones who appear as the better angels of America.

Seeing their acts of charity, should we still condemn anyone holding a protest sign? Were the 50,000 in downtown Minneapolis all mere misfits worthy of our contempt? As I’ve witnessed charity work that the media won’t cover, my biases start to melt away. Whatever his faults, when Governor Tim Walz speaks now of pride in Minnesotans being neighbors to each other, I believe him. Likewise, when the city of Minneapolis was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, I can understand why. They’re seeing what I’m seeing, and while there are always bad apples that people will publicize in bad faith, I am proud of what my community is doing.

But as I change my mind about protestors, I feel remiss if I didn’t also challenge assumptions of ICE. When local police chiefs voiced their objections to their infringements on civil rights, media neglected to show the part where they described the abuses as the acts of few. “It’s not widespread. This is a small group within the surge in the metro area performing or acting this way.” They noted from many conversations with ICE personnel that they condemn the bad apples within their ranks. “This is not how they act. This is not what they do.” While this shouldn’t stop our protests, this has helped me adjust my views of ICE in the same way as protestors—to have hope in many while facing the problems of a relative few.

Therefore, in a great irony, protestors and ICE may have something in common: the assumptions of their character. For myself, I’ll resolve to keep two thoughts at once about each group. With ICE, I will object to their unconstitutional acts while knowing that many do not support them. Likewise, with protestors, I recognize the abrasiveness of some while supporting the good works that don’t go viral. Maybe this is how we should aim to see any group. Stereotypes come from somewhere, but they should also end somewhere. The complexities of people should force us to confront the assumptions we bring to the table. 

Allegedly, ICE will leave Minnesota soon, and while I’m happy, I reflect now on my role in the scheme of things. If Minneapolis were to win the Nobel Peace Prize, I am unsure I’d feel worthy to claim a part of it. So now, instead of scoffing at protestors, I’m inclined to thank them. For helping me remember to stop judgments entire groups. For voicing opposition. For perhaps making ICE go away sooner than they otherwise would. A commentator said that for all the problems in swaying the Trump Administration, the Twin Cities made the president flinch. To me, that also seems something to be proud of. So good work protestors, and we’ll see if the help is needed again.