A wave of silent protest washed over the Golden Globes, as several celebrities chose to make a powerful statement. They wore small, black-and-white pins bearing slogans like “BE GOOD” and “ICE OUT,” a direct response to a tragic event that unfolded just days before.
The pins honored Renee Good, a woman fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis. Her death ignited fury and sparked protests nationwide, converging with outrage over a separate shooting in Portland where Border Patrol agents wounded two individuals.
The movement wasn’t spontaneous. It began with a late-night exchange between two organizers, Nelini Stamp and Jess Morales Rocketto, who recognized the potential of a high-profile event to amplify a critical message. They envisioned a modern echo of Sacheen Littlefeather’s historic 1973 Oscars protest.
Their strategy was remarkably simple: a grassroots campaign leveraging existing networks. They reached out to celebrities and influencers, asking them to spread the message and distribute the pins, creating a ripple effect through Hollywood’s elite circles.
The response was immediate. Mark Ruffalo was among the first to display a pin on the red carpet, and others followed suit, subtly but deliberately injecting a political dimension into the awards show. The goal wasn’t simply to make a statement at one event, but to keep Renee Good’s name – and the names of others – alive in the public consciousness.
Protests have escalated, particularly in Minneapolis, where ICE is currently conducting its largest immigration enforcement operation. Demonstrators are demanding accountability for Good’s death and a reevaluation of ICE’s practices, leading to clashes with law enforcement in some areas.
The tragedy unfolded just a week after another ICE officer fatally shot Keith Porter in Los Angeles, further fueling the growing unrest and demands for justice. Both cases have sparked local protests and calls for the officers involved to be arrested.
While the Trump administration has defended the ICE officer’s actions in the Good shooting, claiming self-defense, an FBI investigation is underway. Simultaneously, Congressmembers have pledged a strong response to the escalating crisis.
Organizers are determined to carry this momentum through awards season, attending pre-Globes events and quietly distributing the pins, relying on personal connections and a shared sense of urgency. It’s a testament to the power of a simple gesture, amplified by a collective desire for change.
This isn’t merely about a single awards show; it’s about a long-standing tradition of artists using their platform to advocate for justice. The “ICE OUT” pins represent a continuation of that legacy, a refusal to remain silent in the face of tragedy and injustice.
