Alex Pretti memorial bike rides planned for nearly 50 locations, including internationally
The shooting death of Alex Pretti by Border Patrol rocked Minnesota and the world, including at Angry Catfish bike shop in Minneapolis' Standish neighborhood, where Pretti was a customer and member of the local cycling community.
"We broke the news to some customers as they were coming in, and the mood shifted pretty quickly, from like a normal Saturday to what it is," Jarrod Alder, an employee at Angry Catfish, said.
Angry Catfish has now announced a memorial ride for Pretti set for Saturday. The 1:30 p.m. ride from Washburn Fair Oaks Park will stop at his memorial, his workplace at the VA hospital and Renee Good's memorial.
Between 50 and 1,000 people are expected to take part. Alder expects that number to be on the upper end of that range.
Since the ride was announced on Monday, there are now plans for nearly 50 additional rides, not only in the U.S., but in Canada and even Finland, according to Alder. That number is expected to grow.
"It's pretty amazing to see folks rally together as cyclists, to remember someone that was good," Alder said.
The outpouring of support is a testament to the unity of the cycling community, he said.
"It's a ride of solidarity, right, to show folks that maybe have never experienced him, you know, love, to show folks what real love feels like, to have folks come together and truly, we are one, we are stronger together," said Alder.
