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Why whistles are becoming the symbol of the moment

Whistles with instructions on an alert system, to make people aware of ICE, are given away at the conclusion of a march along The Strand in support of immigrant rights and democracy, organized by @southbaytakesastand, February 01, 2026 in Manhattan Beach, California.
Jay L Clendenin
/
Getty Images
Whistles with instructions on an alert system, to make people aware of ICE, are given away at the conclusion of a march along The Strand in support of immigrant rights and democracy, organized by @southbaytakesastand, February 01, 2026 in Manhattan Beach, California.

Whistles have become a protest symbol, from the streets of Minnesota to the Grammys red carpet. This hour, we look at how whistles are being used by organizers across the country to alert communities about ICE presence. Plus, we discuss ancient whistles and talk about whistleblowers, why they step forward, and the costs of doing so.

GUESTS:

  • Trevor Mitchell: Senior Metro Reporter for "MinnPost"
  • Sean Hollister: Senior editor at "The Verge"
  • Jessica MacLellan: Anthropological archaeologist interested in ritual, household archaeology, ceramics, and the development of complex societies in Mesoamerica. She is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Wake Forest University
  • Carl Elliott: Professor of Philosophy at the University of Minnesota. His most recent book is The Occasional Human Sacrifice: Medical Experimentation and the Price of Saying No

MUSIC FEATURED (in order):

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Colin McEnroe and Dylan Reyes contributed to this show.

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Lily is the senior producer for 'The Colin McEnroe Show'. She's also a producer of the narrative podcasts 'Generation Barney' and 'Generation Gilmore Girls.' She first worked at Connecticut Public as an intern in 2014. She has previously worked for WBUR, KUNC and as a producer for the New England News Collaborative's weekly show 'Next'. Lily can be reached at ltyson@ctpublic.org.