Bluesky has been flooded with posts urging violence against ICE agents following the fatal shooting of Renee Good in Minneapolis. Many of the posts, often from anonymous accounts, explicitly call for shooting agents "on sight" or frame violence as constitutionally justified. Bluesky's community rules ban threats and promotion of violence, yet only a small fraction of reviewed posts carried a "Threats" label. The platform has not immediately explained why many potentially violating posts remained visible.
Bluesky Flooded With Calls To Shoot ICE Agents After Minneapolis Shooting; Few Posts Flagged
An onlooker holds a sign reading "Shame" as law enforcement officers work the scene following the ICE-involved shooting of Renee Good.(Getty Images)
Bluesky, a social network that spun out of an early Twitter project after Elon Musk's acquisition, has seen a surge of posts urging violence against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Over recent days, largely anonymous accounts on the platform have published explicit calls to shoot ICE officers "on sight" and other incitements to violence. Several posts framed such actions as self-defense or even constitutionally justified, while others compared ICE to a domestic occupying force.
Sample Posts And Rhetoric
Examples reviewed by news outlets included direct, incendiary language. One account wrote, "Shoot ICE ON SIGHT. I said what I said." Another asked whether the incident could be a catalyst to "take up arms against ICE," adding: "Shoot them on sight? Destroy their vehicles the minute they pull up? We can't take this s--- sitting down any longer!"
Other posts invoked historical or constitutional arguments to justify violence, claiming the Second Amendment permits armed resistance against perceived "tyranny." Several posts used dehumanizing language and compared ICE to Nazi or terrorist organizations.
Platform Rules And Enforcement Questions
Bluesky's community guidelines explicitly prohibit content that "shows or promotes violence, harm, exploitation, or criminal activity" and forbid threatening others with death or serious harm. Despite those rules, a review of dozens of posts found only a small fraction labeled with a "Threats" warning indicating the content "promotes violence or harm towards others, including threats, incitement, or advocacy of harm."
Bluesky has emerged as the go-to social media platform for far-leftists, particularly those who fled Twitter following Elon Musk's takeover.
It remains unclear why many posts that appear to violate Bluesky's policy remained accessible. Bluesky did not immediately respond to requests for comment from news outlets about moderation decisions or the decision-making process for labeling content.
Context And Timeline
Some of the violent rhetoric predates the recent unrest in Minneapolis. Posts from May and July included similar calls to shoot ICE agents, sometimes tied to complaints that agents operated in unmarked vehicles or without visible identification. The escalation coincides with a period when the federal government deployed ICE agents in various operations across the country.
Why This Matters
Public calls for violence on social platforms raise urgent questions about content moderation, platform responsibility, and public safety. While online speech is often protected, direct threats, incitement to violence, and explicit instructions to harm individuals or groups fall outside legal protections and create real-world risks.
Updates: This article will be updated if Bluesky or other involved parties provide comment or if additional moderation actions are taken.
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