Comedian John Mulaney has decided to postpone his shows in Minneapolis scheduled for this weekend in the light of Wednesday’s shooting by an ICE officer. The city has seen large demonstrations after an ICE officer shot and killed a local mother and poet, Renee Nicole Good, during a protest.
“What’s happening in your city is heartbreaking,” Mulaney wrote on Instagram. “I hate to postpone shows in a town going through such awful challenges and such grief, because it feels unfair to the audience.”
Mulaney is currently touring his “Mr. Whatever” show and will continue Jan. 15 in St. Louis before heading to Seattle, New York and, after the rescheduled Minneapolis dates, on to London.
“Still, I don’t feel comfortable asking thousands of people each night to leave their homes, gather at the venue, and then make their way home when the situation is so unsafe.
“Tickets for this weekend will be honored for their respective days of Friday through Sunday, April 10th, 11th and 12th. For any questions or refunds, please contact your point of purchase or Ticketmaster.
“I am sorry to anyone who is disappointed. I know a fun stand-up show could be a nice distraction, but it doesn’t sit right with me to put anyone at risk,” he concluded.
“This was the right call,” one fan responded on his Instagram post. Another called on Mulaney to help the effort to get ICE out of Minneapolis, saying, “Please join us all in supporting our community by using your large platform to get ICE out of our city. Maybe once it’s safer, you’ll feel safer performing here again.”
At a Thursday demonstration against Good’s killing, protesters were met with tear gas, the New York Times reported. While some federal officials described the shooting as lawful, Minneapolis and Minnesota officials called those accounts “propaganda” and “garbage.” Protests in the city against the actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been continuing for weeks.
