535 Comments
User's avatar
Andy Borowitz's avatar

Patricia is a role model for our times!

LiverpoolFCfan's avatar

Fat, doltish goons with low social intelligence intimidated by a smart, brave, sassy woman.

Sounds about right for MAGA vs. America.

Munchygut's avatar

It took 3 burly cops to take her down, love it!

jon Hodson's avatar

Wonder if they all had trumpian heel spurs.

Sooz Hall's avatar

We 70-80 year olds are not to be trifled with!! ‼️❤️❣️

Timothy Cooper's avatar

Those ICE agents sure enjoy bullying innocent, innocuous people, don't they?

- Karen Cooper

misia.d's avatar

Yes! “Be Patricia”!

Betty Miller's avatar

We need “Be Patricia” t-shirts!!

misia.d's avatar

In all colors!

KHKate's avatar

Yes! With a scene from that video emblazoned on it!

Pradnya Sikand's avatar

Andy, Thank you for keeping this story alive and for celebrating the courage of fellow Americans who are standing up for our rights and speaking truth to power . Patricia is a true patriot! 🌹Spunky, outspoken, little old ladies are the elite fighting force against the iniquities of ICE! Onwards ! 💕

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Absolutely spot on and wonderfully well said!!! Thanks kindly, Pradnya!

Kim D's avatar

A role model for all times. Pretty sure there's an old story about a little guy with a slingshot taking down a big guy against all odds.

Sheri Drisac's avatar

Hmmmmm...🤔...Now *there's* a thought!!!

Lauren Bouche's avatar

Lol, yes, it's pleasurable to think about!

Martha's avatar

Never underestimate the power and determination of an old woman! We’ve seen a lot of life, and those of us fortunate enough to learn from our experiences know that our dignity and self-worth come from being resilient and unafraid.

Wendy Tucker's avatar

Age should NEVER restrict us from speaking up and out. Attention should be paid.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

YES!!! Yes to all you said and said well!!! YES!!! (from another spiky, snappish, fierce old granny who doesn't tolerate being fucked with)

Betsy L's avatar

We old ladies ran out of Fs to give a couple decades ago. (I'm relatively young - 68.)

Wis's avatar

👏👏👏🥳🥳🥳

She should be rewarded, not just have her case dismissed. When I first read your reporting on this (thank you for that!), I was appalled at the treatment she received. It was such an overreaction and violent use of force on an elderly woman whom the guards apparently deemed such a “dire threat” to the facility, it was like they expected she was going to whip out her trusty flamethrower and decimate the place🙄

The reward she deserves is for her story to make headline news.

Andy, you’ve done your part in sharing the story and exposing the ludicrous event. At least there’s a happy end, though not quite as satisfying as I’d hoped for (the ultimate end of ICE. But that didn’t happen when ICE actually killed people on the street, so that was an unlikely result anyway.) Thank you!

Karen Teige's avatar

Yes indeed! Never mess with a 75 year old woman or man! We’re not afraid. Shame, shame to the officers who arrested her.

Katherine James's avatar

An inspiration to every Grandma in the U.S.!

Noni Andersen's avatar

Also an inspiration to every grandchild in the U.S.

Dale Depweg PhD's avatar

Your fellow Oregonians are Proud of you Patricia! Thank You, and Stay resolute and strong!

Mscreant's avatar

Damn right. Don't mess with us Gray Panthers, baby!

Susie's avatar

Thank you, Patricia. Thank you, Andy for keeping this story in front of our eyes.

Remember the statement of Margaret Mead: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.

It's Come To This's avatar

I swear I hope the Nobel Prize Committee awards this year's honor to 'the people of Minneapolis.'

Sally Joy Rubin's avatar

Great idea! You can write the committee to suggest it. I believe they read the letters. I wrote them about how we would know they’d been bribed, if they gave Trump the prize. Then, listed as many reasons as I could think of why he should not get a PEACE prize, not the least of which is his attacks on people like Patricia. Write them! I’ll write one to them about this, too.

D ODonnell's avatar

Do you have their contact info, please?

Also does anyone know if she contacted her Member of Congress? Or either Senator from Oregon?

Betsy L's avatar

The people of Minneapolis have been publicly nominated. The only problem is that so has Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Tough to choose between them.

Olivia Ward's avatar

There's absolutely no way the Norwegian Nobel committee will give the Nobel Prize to tRump, But he's the front runner for the Booby Prize. And she should be the one to award it. On behalf of the world's Nasty Women.

misia.d's avatar

Absolutely, it was COLD! That is Passionate Protest in its purest form!

Lynell(VA by way of MD&DC)'s avatar

"Yes, Minneapolis has been nominated for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize by the editors of The Nation magazine due to their peaceful mass demonstrations and support for their community.'

Contact: postmaster@nobelpeaceprize.org to nominate someone

DebraFant's avatar

Don't forget the people of St. Paul, and across the state of Minnesota as small towns were harassed by ICE as well as the metro areas. I couldn't be more proud of my home state and the good people and leadership.

Wendy Tucker's avatar

What an outstanding idea. Why not contact the committee and suggest this. Really!

Wendy Tucker's avatar

Nominating someone for Nobel Prize is complicated; specific requirements & qualifications. BUT...if you know someone who might know someone who might know someone....you get the idea. Still what Patricia did deserves our thanks. And maybe the local tv stations could get another request?

Diana's avatar

The rest of Mead's statement is "indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." She is one of the great she-roes of my generation.

Dory Toppan's avatar

Thank you for posting the rest of Mead's statement.

Rosalie Wieder's avatar

Next part of quote: "Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Lorenzo's avatar

This lady has guts - as opposed to our gutless lard ass President.

Patty Farrington's avatar

"Gutless lard ass is so apt! Thank you! It belongs on a t-shirt with Don the Con in a diaper eating his melting golden butter.

Ann Jamieson's avatar

I'd buy one of those!

Patty Farrington's avatar

Perhaps an illustrator could add his playpen of a ballroom,with Trump sitting in the rubble !

Mark P Howard's avatar

Maybe get KAL to provide the graphics?

Lois M. Crowe's avatar

Lard-ass certainly but that’s a pretty big gut I see in the photos of the moron.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Necessary to drape over and hide his teeny pubes.

Joberta Wells's avatar

Brava, Patricia! 🇺🇸

Steve Benko's avatar

Andy, you're definitely not ICE material if you would want to maneuver around her. "Gets rocks off by bullying defenseless little old ladies" was one of the qualifications listed in their job posting!

Sherret Chase's avatar

Is it possible to sue back for false arrest or other wrong doing? Include financial penalties and compensation for harm and damages.

It's Come To This's avatar

I would think some legal beagle is on that case already.

Sherret Chase's avatar

There are an abundance of potential cases, any successes of which would serve to discourage ICE from such abuses in the future. Personal liability as well as agency liability would be important to change their behavior and excesses.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Excellent points -- hope everyone who's been bullied, shoved about, manhandled, abused, kidnapped and falsely arrested by ICE gets on that, including the relatives of those murdered by ICE.

Patrick Hughes's avatar

How small minded do you need to be to see this diminutive lady as a threat.

Lily's avatar

Oh, they go a lot lower on a regular basis.

misia.d's avatar

Someone was sent out to handle her because she repeatedly made them look bad! That itself was proof her message had great impact! Success!

Suzanne kaller's avatar

What a lot of courage she had!!

Suzanne kaller's avatar

I am 75 years old as well. I would have needed company. I couldn’t attempt something like alone!!

Mary-Jean Miner's avatar

Coming up on 89 next week..down to 140 pounds which I still drag to all protests here on the Vineyard!

We love and protect our immigrants!

Sally Joy Rubin's avatar

You’re giving me an idea. You know those drive older people to vote efforts. How about drive older people to protest? I could see that happening.

Sharon P's avatar

election integrity.org they may get you started

Lorenzo's avatar

Ditto. I'm 83.

Ruth Bromer's avatar

Same and 76 and 5'0".

User's avatar
Comment deleted
May 7
Comment deleted
Suzanne kaller's avatar

What would ICE do if a group of older people stood on front of a deportation center?

Lily's avatar

You just saw the answer in the video. There are a lot of bad ass Boomers! We don't all live in the Villages and we sure as hell are not MAGA!

Lynne's avatar

And we went through some shit like this 60 years ago so we bring EXPERIENCE!

D ODonnell's avatar

And now we simply can not believe we’re having to go through it all again. SMH

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Damn straight, girlfriend!!! As an old granny my own damn self, I fully and happily relate!

Carol Hautau's avatar

Groups, mostly retired folks, protest at the Burlington, MA ICE facility almost every day. Here is the story of the arrest of a group of 11 carrying care packages for the detainees inside. https://www.wcvb.com/article/11-arrested-burlington-ice-office-protest/71176613

Pat Engen's avatar

Why are we trespassing when we walk in front of a government office that is paid for by our tax dollars? Don't we have a right to know what is going on in a facility we paid for?

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Yes, dammit, we do!!! Maybe that should be written on protest signs?

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Love these remarks from Rev. Allison Smith, who "was not one of the people arrested but defended their act of (righteous) civil disobedience":

"Where there's cruelty, we have to extend care"

"They were, you know, with bravery and with deep, deep care for their neighbors taking that stand"

John Townsend's avatar

Deport us to El Salvador!

Suzanne kaller's avatar

I wouldn’t give him any ideas. He might love that one!

Suzanne kaller's avatar

To those you lived through the civil rights movement, can you believe the clock has rolled back and we’re fighting for basic rights all over again?

Mark P Howard's avatar

And thanks to the trumpublican packing of the Supreme Court, it will be another generation until the pendulum can swing back.

Suzanne kaller's avatar

It’s quite depressing!!

Lily's avatar

No! It's hard to take in!

D ODonnell's avatar

Simply unbelievable but factually true. #resist

SUZANNE Marie McAdam's avatar

Johnson was fighting the damned Republicans then and

we're fighting the same ones now! I read yesterday that

the FIFA cup is turning into a disaster. (LOL) That has to

REALLY be pissing them all off!

Suzanne kaller's avatar

People who didn’t understand what the Republicans were all about all these years will soon find out! I never voted fir a Republican.

Suzanne kaller's avatar

This time seems more pernicious to me because it’s a new attack.

SUZANNE Marie McAdam's avatar

They've been planning this for forty years.

Pack the court, then find something like

Trump to lead the way.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

"something" -- yeah, got that right. *snik snik*

And yes, you also, very unfortunately, are correct about their 40+ years plan of attack. Suzanne called it "pernicious" - perfect word. The horrific idea of them taking their time to run the long con, take over the courts, undermine this country step by step, until finally it's a fait accompli is unsettling to the max -- like ginormous spiders spinning their webs. Gives me the hair-raising creeped out shivers.

Sarah McAuliffe-Bellin's avatar

I remember her posting this back then. She’s a true patriot!!

Brenda Reiss's avatar

Watch out for us old ladies! We can be very dangerous. A threat, especially to those strong goons who like to "play" at being tough strong MEN

I should know as an almost 81 year old woman. We've been in the trenches for years.

David's avatar

Love it! Good on ya, old lady!❤️

Lily's avatar

Tell it, Brenda! I'm sure we could tell some stories.

David's avatar

Love it! Good on ya, old lady!❤️

D ODonnell's avatar

And it’s getting very, very old.

Suzanne Fausser's avatar

Yes bravo Patricia.💪

Stephanie MacLeod's avatar

Glad to hear she ended up with a clean record! Patricia rocks! I remember when you posted this, Andy, I sent it around in shock and awe!. In the meantime, my shock-o-meter is broken from overuse these days, though. On Saturday, we did our 56th protest, on 1A in bucolic Hamilton, MA. Two white guys with backward hats, drove up and down several times yelling "fagots" to about a dozen of us-4 white men and 8 white women, youngest around 50. We just smiled and waved, smiled and waved, and discussed that maybe they were just calling us bundles of sticks?

SCS - Michigan's avatar

Soooo good! Literally laugh in the face of danger and demented MAGA. Good on ya 🩵

misia.d's avatar

Great response!

John Townsend's avatar

--while those backward hats have sticks for brains!

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

"Faggoting" is also a clothing design term for a design detail in which very narrow strips of open weave, usually "boxy" in style, are set in otherwise plain woven fabric, such as cotton or linen. Tres chic.

Maybe they think you're that?

And in the UK, a faggot also refers to a cigarette.

So in an uncharacteristically charitable moment, I say we give them the benefit of the doubt and assume they were calling you bundles of sticks, a chic clothing design detail, or a cigarette, so were just showing off their vocabulary. Uh-uh. Right.

Stephanie MacLeod's avatar

Very interesting, Floofie, although they did not appear to be Project Runway types. Make it work! Probably not a cigarette, so maybe I will stick with stick definition. We are right near a police/fire department building, so we feel pretty safe, and we get lots of positives. People tell us we boost their spirits when they see us. We do have a gentleman from Germany who is a hoot, and a woman who is from the Netherlands (a retired Dr.), but no Brits that I know of. I have made some wonderful friends.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

It's like a big congenial family gathering with those like-minded folks attending rallies. LOVE IT.

Nancy Salamon's avatar

As another tiny 75 year old( shorter than Patricia!) , I often ask myself what I would do if I saw ICE rounding up people. I have to say I would channel Patricia and take a stand against them, come what may. In one of the season 2 episodes of The Pitt, ICE goons dragged a restaurant worker into the ER after she got hurt during their forceful removal of her from work. We have ALL seen the horrific and very real TV footage, but I hope that this dramatization reached an even larger audience....the audience who thinks it can't happen to them or in their communities, or the people who intentionally tune out the news because they either can't bear it or who think these arrests are justified.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

You go, feisty GRRRRRL!! Give the rat bastards what for!! Thanks for your fighting spirit, Nancy!

I'm yet another born a 1950 boomer, and I'd wade in swinging and swatting with whatever's handy if I saw someone being manhandled by those goons. Ya gotta take risks or nothing will change. Same as back in the old days protesting against the war in 'Nam, nuclear power, and hate directed at LGBTQ+ and protesting FOR civil rights and women's rights. Here we go again, eh? Haven't been watching The Pitt, but I'll give that episode a gander.

Nancy Salamon's avatar

Thanks, Floofie ! I don't think I could love with myself if I ran and hid if I saw ICE manhandling people. As for The Pitt.....it is pretty complex and there is a lot going on . It also exposes the many flaws in our health care system without being preachy about it.

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Sounds like a good show, and I'm up for one that takes on the sticky moral and ethical issues... so... I'll give it a trial run.

Terri's avatar

Thank you so much for this. What an inspiration Patricia is ! This gives me hope.

Hugh Abramson's avatar

Great work, Patricia.

Irna Gadd's avatar

As a 78 year old woman, 5’ 4”, 107 pounds, I obviously have a lot ahead to do to catch up with Patricia. Perhaps I should go to any public elementary school here in NY where ICE agents hang around to arrest immigrant children and/ or their parents. I think I’ll take a staycation from work (yes, I have a full time job) so I can add an ICE arrest to my LinkedIn profile and my CV. I so clearly am lacking in that area and don’t want people to get the wrong idea about me.

misia.d's avatar

Very creative thinking!

Wendy Tucker's avatar

Hope you do do this!

Floofie Snapz Back!'s avatar

Awesome, Irna!! AND awesome Irna! (viva al comma difference)

You go, girl, and add that to your CV!!!

Irna Gadd's avatar

As a former editor, I especially appreciate your “Viva al comma difference”!