The killing of 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti has prompted mass protests and pop star Billie Eilish is calling for more of her "fellow celebrities" to speak up against the actions of ICE.
Singer-songwriter Billie Eilish is calling out “fellow celebrities” for staying silent about the recent and repeated tragedies in Minneapolis amid ICE’s actions.
In a post on Instagram, the nine-time Grammy winner shared a photo of herself with the caption: “hey my fellow celebrities u gonna speak up? Or...”.
Her post was preceded by ones regarding the death of Alex Pretti, the 37-year-old ICU nurse who was fatally shot by ICE agents on Saturday.
Pretti, who was peacefully protesting and trying to assist individuals near the agents, was tackled to the ground and shot 10 times in the space of a few seconds.
Much like the murder of Renee Good a few weeks prior, the killing has been legitimatized by Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem as “self-defence” - despite no evidence provided that Pretti ever drew his legally-owned weapon and video footage proving that Pretti was defenceless before being repeatedly shot.
The Trump administration cited Pretti’s decision to legally carry a gun as evidence that he was looking for a violent confrontation with officers. However, carrying a gun is a right guaranteed by Minnesota state law, as well as the Second Amendment.
The tragedy has prompted mass protests, and several celebrities at Sundance Film Festival have spoken out on the tragedy.
However, more needs to be done according to Eilish, and silence is not an option.
Her brother and frequent collaborator, Finneas, shared a video, which Eilish also reposted. “The conservative argument that allows school shootings to continue has always basically boiled down to, ‘We have to protect the Second Amendment,'” said Finneas in the clip. “Every argument I’ve seen for why Alex Pretti’s death was justified yesterday is like, ‘Well he had a gun.'”
Finneas continues: “This guy was being beaten to a pulp on the ground. He didn’t draw his weapon. He had a weapon on him legally. And they still shot the f*ck out of him!”
Several stars have spoken out, including Mark Ruffalo, Natalie Portman and Bruce Springsteen, as well as pop star Olivia Rodrigo, who took to her Instagram stories to write that ICE’s actions were “unconscionable,” adding that “we are not powerless.”
“Our actions matter,” added Rodrigo. “I stand with Minnesota.”
She also reshared a story from political commentator Ben Sheehan, who described ICE as a “murderous federal agency terrorising an American city” and called on the Senate to block any additional funding for the agency.
Eilish haspreviously criticised ICE after Renee Good was fatally shot in Minneapolis. She shared a post calling the agency a “federally funded and supported terrorist group” that was “tearing apart families, terrorising citizens, and now murdering innocent people”.
The singer also reposted a call on the US to “abolish ICE”, listing 32 people who reportedly died in ICE custody last year.
