Sponsored link
Saturday, March 7, 2026

Sponsored link

Queer activists ‘Scare the State’ at ICE protest on Halloween

Colorful protest at 100 Montgomery drew attention to immigration court abductions, with drag, costumes, and piñatas.

On Halloween, activists from Gay Shame and Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT) combined two beloved SF traditions: dressing up and radical protest. A colorful group marched from Market Street to 100 Montgomery, site of SF Immigration Court where ICE abductions like those of local drag performer Hilary Rivers have taken place, to demand an end to ICE, among other causes.

“Fags and Dykes, we all hate ICE,” one chant went. “Bottoms tops, we all hate cops!” Like all great queer protests, there was of course a fabulous drag number (from KaiKai Bee Michaels), along with a couple well-quitted piñatas and some good old-fashioned “honk to support migrants” outreach.

On a holiday which was surprisingly low-key and low-politics for the city (not that we need more Trump-Hamburglar crossover costumes but this last year has been pretty ripe for some creative takedowns—couldn’t we at least get one Qatari luxury jet?), it was a welcome moment of real purpose alongside the levity. All photos by Leon Kunstenaar

Marke B.
Marke B.
Marke Bieschke is the publisher and arts and culture editor of 48 Hills. He co-owns the Stud bar in SoMa. Reach him at marke (at) 48hills.org, follow @supermarke on Twitter.

48 Hills welcomes comments in the form of letters to the editor, which you can submit here. We also invite you to join the conversation on our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Sponsored link

Sponsored link

Latest

Airbnb, under pressure from labor, drops $120 million lawsuit against SF

After calls for boycott, giant company folds in a win for activists who fight corporate tax cuts

How close are Lurie and SFPD to ICE?

Disturbing comments by (former) head of homeland security and SFPOA suggest more cooperation than the Sanctuary City ordinance allows

The North Beach Carol Doda mural will rise again

After a tribute to the neighborhood's eternal topless queen is unceremoniously pulled off stage, its artist is set on a second act.

Born to the circus, Gypsy Snider brings acrobatic flair to ODC’s ‘Dance Downtown’

At the meeting of two performance traditions, 'I came here to make bodies move in space'.

You might also likeRELATED