What: Vigil for Alex Pretti, RN — Union Brother and Fellow Nurse
When: Thursday, January 29, 2026
Who: MNA nurses, community activists and supporters, local legislators, friends, neighbors, and families
Where: Worcester and Northampton/Leeds, Mass.
Worcester
7:45 – 8:30 p.m. at the Worcester VA Clinic; 403 Belmont Street, Worcester, MA (directly across from the ED entrance at the UMass University Campus)
Northampton/Leeds
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. at the Northampton VA Medical Center; 421 N. Main Street, Leeds, MA
The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the state’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses and healthcare professionals representing more than 26,000 members, will hold two vigils on Jan. 29 to honor the life and legacy of Alex Pretti, RN, an ICU nurse with the Veterans Administration who was killed by federal agents in Minneapolis while exercising his lawful right to observe and document the actions of ICE officials.
On Jan. 25, one day after the killing of Pretti, the MNA issued a statement condemning what it described as the “unwarranted and brutal killing” of Pretti and calling on elected officials and advocates for social justice to hold the Trump administration accountable for ongoing violations of constitutional and human rights.
“Alex spent his career working in the space between life and death, giving patients dignity, care, and a chance to heal,” the statement reads. “In his final act, he again put himself in that space — standing in front of others to protect them from further brutality. In losing Alex, nurses and healthcare professionals across the country feel we have lost one of our own.”
The vigil will honor Pretti’s service as a nurse, his advocacy for human rights, and the veterans and communities he served.
“Alex Pretti was a nurse who dedicated his life to caring for others and standing up for the dignity and safety of the people he served,” said Katie Murphy, RN and president of the Massachusetts Nurses Association. “We are gathering to honor his life, support his loved ones, and reaffirm that nurses will not be silent when human rights and public health are put at risk.”
