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Following Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, artists have been speaking out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids and offering support to protestors in LA.
As reported by Euronews, Trump deployed another 2,100 National Guard members and 700 US Marines, in what the authorities have dubbed Task Force 51 meant to “provide continuous coverage of the area” as unrest in Los Angeles continues.
Many celebrities posted messages on social media supporting the protestors and criticising the National Guard’s deployment, including Eva Longoria and Mark Ruffalo.
Longoria took to Instagram to express her frustration and described the actions as “Un-American”, while Ruffalo shared a lengthy message to Instagram with the caption: “When you have working class people going after the poor and other working class people you know you are living in an oligarchy.”
He added: “The billionaire up at the top is stealing you blind, and you are worried about the poorest of the poor ruining your life? You are pointing your guns in the wrong direction… The president is a grifter.”
Ruffalo’s post went viral, racking up to 200,000 likes—including from other celebrities, including Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry.
Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong posted a scene from one of the LA protests to his Instagram over the weekend, which he captioned with a middle finger emoji and an ice cube emoji, while Tyler, The Creator wrote on his Instagram Story: “FUCK ICE.”
Singer and actress Reneé Rapp also condemned ICE’s actions, writing: “Fuck ICE fuck this administration fuck all of yall who are complicit in ensuring that this happened this is a fucking disgrace.”
One of the most notable reactions came from Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Finneas, brother of Billie Eilish, who attended the “very peaceful protests” himself and claimed to have been teargassed by authorities.
“Tear-gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown. They’re inciting this,” he wrote on Instagram.
Finneas also reposted a clip that appeared to show a reporter, Lauren Tomasi, being shot in the leg with a rubber bullet by law enforcement while she was reporting from the scene.
The heated situation has also prompted a fierce political backlash.
Governor Gavin Newsom took to X to announce his plans to sue the federal government over the National Guard deployment, calling it “an unconstitutional act.”
“This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard. The order he signed doesn’t just apply to CA (California). It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We’re suing him.”
