Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds On Demand, said his firm will not participate in Minneapolis protests, calling road blockages and threats against officers illegal and unsafe. He warned that mixing peaceful protesters with violent agitators endangers demonstrators, law enforcement and emergency services and could prompt an increased ICE presence. The unrest followed a fatal ICE enforcement encounter involving 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, which is under investigation. Swart urged lawful, persuasive advocacy as the more effective path forward.
Crowds On Demand Won’t Join Minneapolis Protests, Calls Unrest Illegal and Dangerous
Crowd-for-hire boss rejects Minneapolis unrest as illegal chaos
Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds On Demand, says his firm will not participate in the Minneapolis demonstrations, arguing the protests have crossed into illegal and unsafe territory and therefore pose unacceptable risks to protesters, law enforcement and the broader community.
“We would not touch the Minneapolis protests with a 10-foot pole,” Swart told Fox News Digital, citing blocked roadways, interference with federal agents and threats against authorities after a fatal ICE enforcement operation.
A Border Patrol Tactical Unit agent sprays pepper spray into the face of an agitator attempting to block an immigration officer’s vehicle in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7.
Why Crowds On Demand Is Standing Aside
Swart said the company refuses to organize or supply participants for events that involve blocking traffic, obstructing federal agents or threatening officers.
“Blocking roadways, obstructing federal agents, and threatening authorities are illegal, and we don’t engage in any form of illegal protest,” he said. He warned that the unrest is likely to produce the opposite outcome protesters intend: “The impact of these protests will actually be to increase ICE operations, not decrease them.”
Safety Concerns
Swart argued that mixing peaceful demonstrators with aggressive agitators creates serious safety risks.
“A lot of the people protesting on the streets are actually violent. They are unhinged, unstable people who pose a risk to peaceful protesters. That’s why we’re staying out.”He also rejected characterizations of road blockages or direct confrontations as harmless "nonviolent resistance," calling them dangerous—especially during active law-enforcement operations.
“When you block the ability of federal agents to get in and out of a scene, you are putting them at risk from a violent mob. That ability to enter and exit safely is fundamental to law enforcement.”
People demonstrate against ICE during a vigil honoring a woman who was shot and killed by an immigration officer earlier in the day in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Jan. 7, 2026.
Winter weather compounds those risks, Swart added:
“The roads are icy and snowy. You’re creating barriers that put vehicles at risk, and you’re also putting yourself and other protesters at risk.”
Impact On The Community
Beyond law enforcement, Swart warned that road blockages endanger emergency responders and everyday residents.
“Who else can’t get through when roads are blocked? Ambulances. Fire trucks,” he said. “Emergency services have nothing to do with politics, and you’re making it impossible for them to do their jobs.”
A bullet hole is visible in the windshield of a vehicle involved in a shooting by an ICE agent during federal law enforcement operations on Jan. 7, 2026, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
He also said illegal tactics undercut protesters’ messages:
“When protesters commit illegal activity, what’s lost is the substance of the message. People don’t hear what you’re protesting, they just see the blocked street.”
The Fatal ICE Operation
The demonstrations followed a fatal encounter during a federal enforcement action in south Minneapolis involving 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said. DHS reported that agents were attempting arrests when Good allegedly tried to use her vehicle as a weapon against officers; a federal agent fired in what officials described as self-defense, killing Good. The incident remains under investigation.
Border Patrol federal agents detain an agitator after the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent, during a rally against increased immigration enforcement across the city outside the Whipple Building in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Jan. 8, 2026.
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem called the shooting "preventable," saying agents were stranded after one of their vehicles became stuck in the snow and were surrounded and blocked by agitators. According to statements attributed to Noem, Good repeatedly obstructed officers, did not comply with commands to exit her vehicle and then "weaponized her vehicle," striking an officer who was later treated at a hospital. Those allegations are part of the ongoing investigation.
Swart’s Message: Lawful, Persuasive Action
Swart said the street unrest reinforces his firm's approach of promoting lawful, peaceful, persuasive and respectful campaigns.
“The chaos on the streets of Minneapolis shows why our approach—peaceful, lawful, persuasive, respectful—is the most effective,” he said. “If protesters think this will deter ICE, they’re wrong. What’s far more likely is that ICE will increase its presence to deal with agitators. The administration will want to show it won’t be intimidated.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks during a news conference at City Hall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Dec. 2, 2025. After the Jan. 7 shooting, he told federal immigration authorities Wednesday to "get the f---" out of the city.
He said he has offered to help city leaders and stakeholders run lawful campaigns to restore safety and order, but that fear and intimidation have impeded those efforts. Swart blamed the deteriorating climate for contributing to reduced police visibility, shuttered businesses and the loss of the city’s commuter rail service.
“This can be your rock bottom,” he told local residents. “You don’t need to fall further. But people have to find the courage to stand up for their city. I want to engage in making Minneapolis a better place — not adding to the chaos currently unfolding.”
Help us improve.
