In a bold demonstration, hundreds of anti-ICE protesters, many motivated by the artist Bad Bunny, took to the streets to block roads near the Super Bowl stadium during the NFL’s championship event.
Footage captured the protesters as they marched around Levi’s Stadium, which was hosting the game between the Seattle Seahawks and the New England Patriots on Sunday.
The demonstrators carried banners emblazoned with ‘ICE OUT,’ echoing the powerful political message delivered by Bad Bunny during his Grammy Awards acceptance speech for Album of the Year last week.
Shasti Conrad, the lead organizer of the protest, indicated that the group found inspiration in the actions of the Puerto Rican rapper, who performed at the Super Bowl LX halftime show.
“The Super Bowl is a significant cultural event in the U.S., where music, sports, and identity intersect,” Conrad stated.
“We’ve observed how platforms like the Golden Globes and the Grammys are being used by artists such as Bad Bunny to voice broader messages about our identity and values,” she added.
‘This action builds on that momentum. Culture often leads politics, and moments like this show how people are using joy, creativity, and visibility to push back against ICE and demand a country that truly lives up to its promise to welcome immigrants.’
It comes after Donald Trump said he would be skipping the Super Bowl this year over the decision to host Bad Bunny at halftime.
Hundreds of anti-ICE protesters have blocked roads close to the Super Bowl stadium ahead of Bad Bunny’s halftime show
It comes amid tension around Bad Bunny’s impending Super Bowl halftime performance
White House press secretary Leavitt was asked whether Trump’s Mar-a-Lago watch party would tune in to Bad Bunny at halftime or Kid Rock, who will be performing at Turning Point USA’s own halftime show.
Leavitt said: ‘I think the president would much prefer a kid Rock performance over Bad Bunny. I must say that.’
A group named Contra-ICE handed out 25,000 white towels branded with the words ‘ICE OUT’ around the stadium for fans to wave during the game in Santa Clara.
Demonstrators waved banners reading ‘ICE out of the Super Bowl’ as they called for lawmakers to ‘abolish’ the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
it was a relaxed atmosphere, however, around three hours before the start of the game, with the fans lucky enough to have the hottest ticket in town enjoying the party atmosphere leading up to kickoff.
The Puerto Rican rapper, real name Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has remained coy over whether he will repeat his anti-ICE stance during the halftime show.
He didn’t address the MAGA backlash against his impending performance during a Super Bowl press conference in San Francisco earlier this week but insisted ‘the world will be happy’ after his 13-minute show has reached its conclusion.
‘The world is going to be happy this Sunday, (as well as) the whole country,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of people that love me around the world, not just the Latino people.
‘To be on the biggest stage in the world is something that I never thought (possible). You always have to be proud of who you are and feel comfortable being yourself, being proud about your history and where you are from and don’t let that limit yourself.
Protesters are handing ‘ICE out’ towels to the fans going to the Super Bowl on Sunday
Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara hosts the Seattle Seahawks against New England Patriots
‘A lot of people stop me at the street or the airport, Americans in the United States, Mexico, French and say “I know you’re going to do a great performance at the Super Bowl.”‘
Another anti-MAGA band, Green Day, are performing in the pre-game show. Earlier this week, lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong called out the Trump administration during a show and he has previously changed lyrics to their hit ‘American Idiot’ to: ‘I’m not part of a MAGA agenda.’
Trump himself has slammed the selection of Bad Bunny and Green Day, saying that they will ‘sow hatred’.
He is not attending the showdown in California, despite last year becoming the first sitting President in US history to go to the Super Bowl when it was held in New Orleans.
Right-wing political organization Turning Point USA has organized an alternative ‘All-American Halftime Show’ featuring artists including Kid Rock.
As for the football, the Seahawks are favorite to beat the Patriots, who have made their first Super Bowl since the all-conquering era of quarterback Tom Brady.
