Leftists FURIOUS After Renee Good Memorial TORCHED – Oh The Hypocrisy

When a makeshift memorial becomes a political lightning rod, torching it reveals the stunning hypocrisy of those who once dismissed property destruction as inconsequential.

Story Snapshot

An arsonist doused the Renee Good memorial in south Minneapolis with gasoline and set it ablaze on February 17, 2026, causing community outrage
Good, a 37-year-old mother, was fatally shot by an ICE officer during an immigration enforcement operation on January 7, 2026
Community members extinguished the fire before extensive damage occurred; Minneapolis police are investigating with no arrests made
The incident exposes a glaring double standard from activists who previously minimized property damage during riots
Minneapolis officials now pledge to create a permanent memorial after six weeks of community volunteers maintaining the site

The Double Standard Burns Bright

The outrage over a torched memorial in south Minneapolis raises an uncomfortable question for the progressive left: when did property suddenly matter? For years, Minneapolis endured riots, looting, and arson that destroyed businesses, neighborhoods, and livelihoods. Progressive activists dismissed these acts as legitimate expressions of rage, insisting that property could be replaced but lives could not. Now those same voices are calling an attack on a roadside memorial despicable, revictimizing, and an assault on community healing. The shift is remarkable and revealing.

Around nine o’clock on the evening of February 17, someone doused portions of the Renee Good memorial with gasoline and struck a match. The fire damaged fencing and some memorial items before neighbors rushed to extinguish the flames. Community volunteers including photojournalist Ryan Vizzions, who had been protecting the site for six weeks, documented gasoline residue still contaminating the scene. Minneapolis police opened an arson investigation but have made no arrests. The memorial honors Good, who was shot and killed by ICE officer Jonathan Ross during Operation Metro Surge on January 7.

Who Was Renee Good

Good was a 37-year-old mother and artist who became the center of a firestorm over federal immigration enforcement. During an ICE operation at East 34th Street and Portland Avenue, officer Jonathan Ross ordered Good to exit her vehicle. She attempted to flee and was fatally shot. The incident sparked national protests and became the first of three shootings involving federal agents in Minneapolis within three weeks. Justice Department leadership controversially ordered the FBI and prosecutors to treat her death as an assault on a federal officer, triggering mass resignations across the Minneapolis FBI field office and U.S. Attorney’s office.

The Memorial as Political Theater

Community activists transformed the shooting site into a political shrine, maintaining flowers, candles, signs, and messages for over six weeks. Minneapolis City Council members Jason Chavez and Soren Stevenson embraced the memorial as a focal point for resistance against federal immigration enforcement. Chavez called the arson despicable while pledging continued community protection of the site. Volunteer David Gilbert-Pederson framed the fire as revictimization of immigrant families and promised the memorial would persist. The city announced plans for permanent memorials honoring both Good and Alex Pretti, another individual killed by Border Patrol agents on January 24.

The selective concern for property damage exposes the political calculations driving this outrage. When Minneapolis burned during the 2020 riots, causing over $500 million in damage, progressive voices rationalized the destruction. Insurance would cover it, they claimed. Buildings could be rebuilt. Property was expendable compared to the righteousness of the cause. Business owners who lost everything were lectured about their privilege and told to check their priorities. Now a pile of wood, flowers, and signs commands moral authority demanding investigation and accountability.

Law Enforcement in an Impossible Position

Minneapolis police find themselves investigating an arson at a memorial protesting law enforcement while navigating intense political pressure. The department issued statements prioritizing community grieving space and promising engagement on permanent memorial preservation. Yet no federal investigation into Good’s death exists, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was denied access to evidence. Lawmakers continue pressing for joint federal and state investigations while the arson case remains unsolved. The irony is thick: the same activists demanding justice for memorial vandalism often oppose cooperation with police investigating actual crimes.

The facts surrounding Good’s shooting matter, even if they complicate the narrative activists prefer. She was subject to an immigration enforcement operation, ordered to exit her vehicle, and chose to flee. An ICE officer made a split-second decision that ended her life. Whether that decision was justified requires investigation, not canonization. Transforming someone into a political symbol before facts emerge undermines legitimate accountability. Community volunteers pledging resistance and treating memorial maintenance as activism prioritize politics over truth. That same impulse now fuels outrage over property damage they previously dismissed.