Coachella Star CMAT Calls Out ICE Raids in Fiery Performance Speech

At the kickoff of the California music festival Coachella, Irish artist Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson, known as CMAT, took a bold stand against United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Before launching into her popular song "I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!," CMAT addressed the crowd on the Gobi stage with a sharp condemnation of ICE’s ongoing raids.

"Please do not let them convince you that people dying or being ripped away from their family in the name of country or capital is anything other than an abhorrent waste of life," she declared, cutting through the usual festival cheer with urgent clarity. Her words highlighted the human cost of ICE’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics, which have torn families apart and caused widespread suffering.

CMAT’s defiant message did not stop there. She bluntly demanded "ICE f***ing out," signaling a call for the agency’s dismantling. She also expressed solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, shouting "free Palestine," linking the fight against ICE’s authoritarian overreach to global movements for justice and human rights.

This moment at Coachella underscores how cultural platforms can amplify resistance to the Trump administration’s harsh immigration policies. ICE raids have been widely criticized for their brutality and disregard for civil rights, especially under a government that weaponizes immigration enforcement to stoke fear and division.

CMAT’s speech is a reminder that artists and activists continue to push back against these abuses of power. As ICE continues to conduct raids that disrupt lives and communities, voices like hers are crucial in holding the agency accountable and demanding an end to its reign of terror.

For those following the escalating attacks on immigrant rights and democratic norms, CMAT’s fiery stage address is more than just a moment of protest — it’s a call to action. We only get one shot at justice, and the time to fight back is now.