It often seems like the anti-ICE demonstrations are full of "theater kids" — people who seem to have "main character syndrome."
They think they are doing something stunning and brave. They're "fighting fascism" (in their minds) by doing things like harassing federal agents in the street.
Of course, the anti-ICE activists' basic premise is incorrect. They are on the wrong side of history — they're the ones trying to stop law enforcement, voted on by the representatives of the people, from arresting and deporting illegal aliens. It's the enforcement, enacted by a democratic process, that they are trying to stop. They are also frequently coming to the defense of people who have harmed Americans. This doesn't seem to bother them or enter into their calculus. They are not in the right.
But if we didn't already know they were "theater kids," some actual "theater kids" came out this past week to protest over the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good with...an interpretive dance. Yes, seriously. They decided to stage a "re-enactment" of the incidents outside the Trump-Kennedy Center. This apparently included some Broadway dancers and former Kennedy Center dancers. I give you fair warning how cringeworthy this is, so gird your loins, it's quite something.
Dancers reenact the ICE shooting of Renee Good and Alex Pretti through performance protest pic.twitter.com/hOISJmRiFY
— New York Post (@nypost) February 19, 2026
READ MORE: 'Mostly Peaceful' Ohio Teens Skip School, Trash Grocery Store in Anti-ICE Melee
The Anti-ICE 'Shutdown Days' Prove Johnny and Julie Can't Read or Write, but They Sure Can Protest
In addition to being incredibly lame, can we talk about the variety of things they left out or didn't get right in their "re-enactment"?
They left out the inconvenient fact of Good hitting the ICE agent with her car. Although interestingly, they do note he was in front of the car. They also left out the actions of Good's partner. Then with Pretti, the re-enactment didn't really match the actions that took place. They started at the Kennedy Center and ended at the Lincoln Memorial, after officers reportedly told them they were on private property. Then it was truly cringey to have them looking off to the Washington Monument.
Who do they think they're reaching with this? Other theater kids? New York/D.C. white, female liberals? The pool of people to whom this might appeal seems like it would be infinitesimally small. This is a typical leftist reaction, like most of the anti-ICE efforts in general — a lame emotional response disconnected from reality. Oddly enough, ICE and the CBP are still in operation, despite this "powerful" display. Turns out emotional displays don't actually do much.
Is there an Olympic medal category for cringe? Because this gets the gold. https://t.co/sTs6Rr6Kwg
— A Strange Loop 🧭✴️ (@Recursion_Agent) February 20, 2026
Theater kids are beyond cringe pic.twitter.com/xnzAocE1Ml
— Joey Salads (@JoeySalads) February 19, 2026
No way they did the meme https://t.co/8BHlWVMDXA pic.twitter.com/JIVEJUf4RU
— Juan123445🇨🇴 (@Juan123455_) February 20, 2026
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