A harmless household item is now being declared a ‘violent weapon,’ as it becomes key to the resistance against ICE

A simple coach’s whistle, the kind you might use at a kid’s soccer game, is now being declared a “violent weapon” by some conservative commentators. This isn’t just about noise complaints; the humble whistle has become a central tool for activists resisting President Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown. It has spurred an intense reaction because people are using whistles to alert their neighbors to the presence of immigration agents. 

The fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti angered the community and quickly led to organized resistance. The Guardian reported that activists have developed a very clear, easy-to-understand code for the whistle. For example, an advocacy group active in New York, Hands Off NYC, advises people to blow their whistles in short bursts if they spot Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Arrests are communicated with a long, repeated pattern.

This simple, effective tactic has spread like wildfire across the country. We’ve seen groups holding “whistle parties” in Chicago, where they simply hand out the devices to residents. One group has reportedly distributed more than 150,000 whistles nationwide, with activists even using them in places like Los Angeles, Portland, and Milwaukee.

The simplest tools and actions are usually the most powerful

Naturally, the ubiquity of this device in standoffs has led to significant pushback from the right. Commentators are branding the whistles as “hearing-loss-causing machines.” Steven Crowder, a right-wing streamer, claimed that women at the scene of Alex Pretti’s killing in Minneapolis “absolutely went out of their way to cross the street and arguably commit assault against the officers with whistles in the ears.”

Another conservative figure, Mike Cernovich, took the criticism further, claiming the devices “should be considered a violent weapon.” He wrote on social media that “High IQ people don’t respond well to shrill noises,” adding that “those hearing loss causing machines that terrorists use against ICE” damage hearing for life. 

A right-wing podcaster, Megyn Kelly, argued that the whistling “needs to stop,” and constitutes interference, comparing it to being cited by police under local noise ordinances. Kelly was recorded saying, “That’s what these people are doing. And no doubt they contributed to the chaotic atmosphere that ultimately led Alex Pretti to die.” She also expressed displeasure that the musician Justin Vernon, of Bon Iver, wore one of the devices to the Grammys.

Iver stated that “the whistle is there to represent all the observers in Minneapolis,” who “are out there on the street corner, 30 below, and they are warning their neighbors of danger.” The whistle isn’t just being used by grassroots activists, either. City and state lawmakers wore them at a press conference at Minneapolis City Hall.

Later, Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib used a whistle in the House of Representatives to illustrate her point. She said, “ICE was built on violence and racism. It cannot be reformed. ICE must be abolished.”