Billie Joe Armstrong Shares Message of Solidarity Amid L.A. Protests
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has joined the artists condemning ICE raids amid the ongoing L.A. protests.
Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day performs onstage during the FIREAID Benefit Concert for California Fire Relief at The Kia Forum on January 30, 2025 in Inglewood, Calif.
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong has shared a message of support amid protesters rallying against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Trump administration’s recent deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles.
On Sunday evening (June 8), Armstrong posted a protest snippet from downtown L.A. via Instagram Stories, captioned with a middle-finger emoji and an ice cube. The clip featured a live recording of “F— Off,” a track from Saviors (Édition de Luxe), the deluxe version of Green Day’s 2024 album, released in May 2025.
The post comes amid increasing criticism of federal raids across Southern California, which saw ICE agents detaining dozens of individuals alleged to be undocumented immigrants. The crackdown was quickly followed by the unrequested deployment of National Guard troops to L.A., marking one of the first times in modern history that the Guard was sent to a state without the governor’s approval.
California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed the move as a “serious breach of state sovereignty” in a letter issued Sunday afternoon, while L.A. Mayor Karen Bass echoed that sentiment, calling the situation “provoked chaos” during a press conference.
Armstrong’s statement also follows comments from Finneas, who claimed he was tear-gassed while attending what he described as a “very peaceful protest” in downtown L.A.
The Grammy-winning producer and artist posted several Instagram stories, writing: “Tear-gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown — they’re inciting this.” Finneas also reposted a video showing 9News Australia correspondent Lauren Tomasi being struck in the leg by a rubber bullet while reporting live from the scene.
The protests began Friday in response to ICE raids at several Los Angeles-area businesses. By Sunday, the National Guard had arrived in the city, and images of heavily armed officers confronting peaceful demonstrators, including journalists and musicians, began flooding social media.
For Armstrong, this latest act of resistance fits squarely within a decades-long tradition of speaking out against institutional injustice. Green Day’s discography is filled with political commentary, from the anti-Bush sentiment of American Idiot to more recent critiques of gun violence and authoritarianism.
