Wear a Whistle. Everywhere. Every Day.

Whistle culture signals growing resistance to ICE terrorism

by Dennis O’Neil

The author wearing a whistle

As you may well know, whistles have been an essential part of the toolkit in the fight to defend immigrants (and increasingly, any citizens defending them) from harassment, brutality, seizure, and deportation.

This tactic has been especially visible in cities targeted by the Trump administration for surges like Washington, DC; Portland, Oregon; Charlotte; New Orleans; Los Angeles; Boston; and Chicago. Watch any video snippet of neighborhoods resisting ICE raids—the background soundtrack is the shrill of observers blowing whistles. Three short whistle blasts mean ICE is in the area; three long blasts mean they are detaining someone.

Especially since the start of Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, we have seen a rise in whistle culture more broadly. Newspapers have started using photos of interviewed subjects focused on their whistles. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert recently carried a segment on which nonviolent resistance scholar Maria J. Stephan gave Colbert a whistle (which he deemed “not only a good warning, but oddly cheerful”). MAGA social media pundits have been going nuts, calling them “hearing loss causing machines that terrorists use.”

Maybe you have a whistle already and carry it with you. Good on you! Now it’s time to maximize the impact. Visibly wearing a whistle whenever you are out and about serves four additional purposes.

• It’s a warning to predators, like Homeland Security officials planning further surges, to think twice before focusing on your community.

• It’s a statement to your neighbors who are foreign-born (or look like it) that there are folks around who have their back.

• It provides an answer to friends who say, “This is all so terrible, but I don’t know what to do about it.” Tell ’em to Wear a Whistle.

• It is a physical manifestation of the developing national unity of will and sense of collectivity growing out of activities at the most local level.

Consider risks. Whistles are legal, but they represent a threat to ICE. “We had whistles. They had guns.” Becca Good’s statement is both a proud declaration and a warning. But wearing, and blowing, a whistle are quintessential political speech, one of the core protections of the First Amendment. And remember there’s safety in numbers–get connected to a rapid response network or other immigrant defense group in your community.

Now is the time to build whistle culture broadly. “Unpolitical” people—even the cat bongo community!—are majorly pissed off about ICE since the execution of Good and Pretti. Here’s a simple but powerful thing anyone can do. So flood the zone. Social media is good, e.g., can you post on TikTok to boost this new fashion trend? But more than that, share with people in real-life spaces. Wear your whistle at the grocery store, workplace, school, house of worship, pickup game, wherever you go, and have some ready to give out. Some amazing dedicated people are making whistles with 3-D printers, or providing resources for making or ordering them.

In conclusion, as the title says: Wear a Whistle. Everywhere. Every Day.

Post your whistle-related ideas and activities in the comments below!

Dennis O’Neil is what is sometimes referred to as “a longtime activist.” Meaning old. His political work of late has been centered on the struggle to Save Our Postal Service.