Ethel Cain, Sophie Thatcher and Boy Harsher are among over 100 artists to have joined a campaign calling for the abolition of ICE.
Protests have been filling the streets of downtown Los Angeles for multiple weeks after agents from the US federal agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raided locations in the city to arrest individuals supposedly involved in illegal immigration to the country.
A state of emergency has been declared in the city, with President Donald Trump controversially sending in the California National Guard and the Marines to disperse the protesters.
Now, a group of artists have joined together to call on ICE to be abolished. The group is led by the LA creative studio Ride Or Cry and has been officially endorsed by 115 artists, including Cain, Heretic and Companion actor Thatcher, Boy Harsher, Beach Fossils, STRFKR, Osees, Samia and Of Montreal.
The campaign is raising funds through a limited-edition T-shirt – which is available here until Friday (June 27). They have already raised over $60,000 (£45,000) for the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, a non-profit group that gives legal representation to immigrant communities facing unjust detention and deportation.
Stephania Dwyer, co-owner of Ride Or Cry, has said: “What started as a small idea born out of a desire to help our community while being positioned as a team in art and entertainment, grew so much bigger than we ever could have imagined.
“We’ve been reminded of the power there is when a community comes together under one unified message. The outpouring of love and support from all over the world has been unreal.”
Cain added: “Beyond proud of my dear friend Stephania for organizing this for the cause, and so grateful at how many people showed up to support.”
Other artists to speak out against ICE include Rage Against The Machine’s Zack De La Rocha, who has teamed up with streetwear brand Born X on a “Protect Los Angeles” hoodie and T-shirt.
“Fascism is lawless,” De La Rocha wrote. “Its agents weaponize what they consider to be the law and will only apply it to those that they target, while they illegally detain, harass, terrorize, and disappear the members of our communities with total impunity.
“As we speak, they are attempting to blur the lines between what is protest and what is “terrorism,” between who is an innocent worker and who is a “violent criminal.” This could soon be the norm, whether you’re a citizen or not. To stand with us is to stand up for yourselves.”
His RATM bandmate Tom Morello also recently attended a protest against ICE and called on people to “defend LA”.
Last weekend, Finneas claimed he had been tear-gassed by the National Guard at a “peaceful” protest in LA. “Fuck ICE,” he wrote on social media about the incident. Later, he added: “If you are into this fascist shit you are small and weak and will lose.”
Elsewhere, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong expressed his support by telling ICE to “fuck off”, and Shakira has said that she lives in “constant fear” as an immigrant in the United States.
Khaby Lame, the world’s biggest TikTok star, also reportedly fled the US after being detained by ICE earlier this week.
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