MAZ: Minneapolis Autonomous Zone Established by Antifa Amid Ongoing Anti-ICE riots
26th January 2026
Scenes from Minneapolis on Saturday night showed anti-ICE protesters occupying a “no-ICE zone,” an area that appeared to be protected by Minneapolis police and the National Guard, which was deployed by Governor Tim Walz earlier that day.
Footage from the scene showed National Guard members and police officers lining surrounding streets, with outer barricades set up on each block in all directions. Dozens of people remained inside the zone despite temperatures dropping below zero throughout the night. The situation drew comparisons to the CHOP or CHAZ autonomous zone established in Seattle in 2020 during the height of the George Floyd protests, when protesters created a self-declared autonomous area within the city.
Many protesters gathered in the cold to pay tribute to Alex Pretti, an armed protester who was shot by federal agents during a confrontation over the weekend. Protesters were seen lighting candles and laying flowers in a quiet vigil.
Minnesota is now in a state of insurrection, supported by the Governor and the state government.
Tim Pool has a summary: Watch it.