Elitists with private security rally for anti-ICE messaging at Golden Globes

Sunday night's Golden Globes awards in Beverly Hills drew the usual crowd of private security-protected celebrities, but this year, with a new message in tow: ICE is bad. 

The contrast between celebrities, who often have their own security teams accompanying them when out in public, and the non-famous population, who have to rely on taxpayer-funded security in the form of public policing, is no starker than at events like the Golden Globes. 

As stars walked the red carpet, two lapel pins were spotted on many tuxedos and dresses, reading "ICE Out" and "Be Good," an anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) slogan. The pins were reportedly organized and provided by Working Families Power, an organization funded by a number of left-wing backers including George Soros' Fund for Policy Reform. 

The sentiment didn't stop with lapel pins. Celebrities used the platform to protest during red carpet statements. Actor Mark Ruffalo, who wore an "ICE OUT" pin, declared on the red carpet, “We’ve got, literally, storm troopers running around terrorizing, and as much as I love all this, I don’t know if I can pretend like this crazy stuff isn’t happening."

Wanda Sykes, also sporting a "Be Good" pin in tribute, stated in a red carpet interview, “We need to be out there and shut this rogue government down because it’s just awful what they’re doing to people.”

Jean Smart, who won for best actress in a TV comedy or musical series, alluded to political turmoil including ICE issues in her acceptance speech. She said in her televised speech, “There’s just a lot that could be said tonight. I said my rant on the red carpet, so I won’t do it here... Let’s all do the right thing. I think everybody in their hearts knows what the right thing to do is, so let’s do the right thing.” 

On the red carpet earlier, Smart had addressed the climate, noting, “I feel like we’re at a turning point in this country." She also told ET, “Everything’s kind of, a little bit overshadowed, with what's going on in our country. I know that there are people who find it annoying when actors take opportunities like this to talk about social and political things. But I'm not here right now speaking as an actress, I'm just speaking as a citizen and a mom, and I hope people understand that."

Other stars like Natasha Lyonne joined in wearing "Be Good" pins, but onstage remarks remained vague amid the charged political atmosphere.

Anti-ICE sentiment is relatively new in the Trump era. However, when grafted on to the larger issue of anti-law enforcement, it's a multi-decade struggle.

Beginning in the late 1980s, the hip-hop community were the originators of anti-police rhetoric with N.W.A.'s song, "F**k tha Police" off their hit record Straight Outta Compton. The protest anthem by Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E protested alleged racial profiling and brutality in black and Latino communities.  

In 1992, Ice-T's band Body Count released "Cop Killer," sparking national outrage. Police organizations boycotted Time Warner (the label's parent), and figures like President George H.W. Bush and VP Dan Quayle condemned it. Ice-T eventually removed the song due to threats and pressure but recently revived and reworked the lyrics to protest ICE.

The anti-police movement intensified following the LA riots, which transpired after the acquittal of four LAPD (Los Angeles Police Department) police officers in the beating of Rodney King. 

In more recent years, following the highly publicized 2014 police killings of Michael Brown in Missouri and Eric Garner in New York, celebrities like Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, T.I., and John Legend spoke out. Beyoncé supported BLM financially and through performances.

In 2016, Beyoncé's "Formation" video and Super Bowl halftime show featured Black Panther-inspired imagery and references to police violence, interpreted by critics (including police unions) as anti-police. This led to boycott calls against her tour.

Additionally, athletes like former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick received celebrity backing for kneeling during the National Anthem at games.  

The death of George Floyd in 2020 sparked the largest wave, with hundreds of celebrities endorsing radical reforms. Celebrities like John Legend, Jane Fonda, Natalie Portman, Common, and America Ferrera signed open letters calling to "defund the police." Letters from actors like Michael B. Jordan, Viola Davis, Idris Elba and Gabrielle Union accused Hollywood of glorifying police corruption. Television shows like the long-running Cops and Live PD were canceled.