Celebrities react to Trump immigration raids in LA
'Le Désespoir' ('Despair'), a variation on the famous 'Porte de l'Enfer' ('The Gates of Hell'), was produced around 1892. It depicts a woman hugging her knees and holding her foot.
It had disappeared after being sold at an auction in 1906, and its owners had it sitting on a piano in their home, believing it was a replica.
After a six-week investigation, they were informed of its authenticity.
French auctioneer Aymeric Rouillac told AFP that he went to the Comité Rodin in March and the body, considered to be the leading authority on the French sculptor, confirmed it was not a fake after much research and a genealogical survey.
Rouillac described the 28.5cm marble as an 'extremely rare' find.
"We have rediscovered it," he added. And sold it for nearly one million dollars to an anonymous American buyer.
Following Donald Trump's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, artists have been speaking out against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids and offering support to protestors in LA.
As reported by Euronews, Trump deployed another 2,100 National Guard members and 700 US Marines, in what the authorities have dubbed Task Force 51 meant to "provide continuous coverage of the area" as unrest in Los Angeles continues.
Many celebrities posted messages on social media supporting the protestors and criticising the National Guard's deployment, including Eva Longoria and Mark Ruffalo.
Longoria took to Instagram to express her frustration and described the actions as 'Un-American', while Ruffalo shared a lengthy message to Instagram with the caption: "When you have working class people going after the poor and other working class people you know you are living in an oligarchy."
He added: "The billionaire up at the top is stealing you blind, and you are worried about the poorest of the poor ruining your life? You are pointing your guns in the wrong direction... The president is a grifter."
Ruffalo's post went viral, racking up to 200,000 likes—including from other celebrities, including Jennifer Garner and Halle Berry.
Une publication partagée par Mark Ruffalo (@markruffalo)
Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong posted a scene from one of the LA protests to his Instagram over the weekend, which he captioned with a middle finger emoji and an ice cube emoji, while Tyler, The Creator wrote on his Instagram Story: 'FUCK ICE.'
Singer and actress Reneé Rapp also condemned ICE's actions, writing: 'Fuck ICE fuck this administration fuck all of yall who are complicit in ensuring that this happened this is a fucking disgrace.'
One of the most notable reactions came from Oscar-winning singer-songwriter Finneas, brother of Billie Eilish, who attended the 'very peaceful protests' himself and claimed to have been teargassed by authorities.
'Tear-gassed almost immediately at the very peaceful protest downtown. They're inciting this,' he wrote on Instagram.
Finneas also reposted a clip that appeared to show a reporter, Lauren Tomasi, being shot in the leg with a rubber bullet by law enforcement while she was reporting from the scene.
Elsewhere, Grammy-winning rapper Doechii spoke out against the immigration raids in Los Angeles at the 2025 BET Awards last night.
During her speech, Doechii said that though she was 'honoured' by the award, she wanted to 'address what is happening right now outside of the building'.
'There are ruthless attacks that are creating fear and chaos in our communities in the name of law and order,' she continued, citing Trump's deployment of the National Guard.
'Trump is using military forces to stop a protest,' Doechii added. 'I want you all to consider what kind of government it appears to be when every time we exercise our democratic right to protest, the military is deployed against us. What type of government is that?'
The heated situation has also prompted a fierce political backlash.
Governor Gavin Newsom took to X to announce his plans to sue the federal government over the National Guard deployment, calling it 'an unconstitutional act.'
"This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard. The order he signed doesn't just apply to CA (California). It will allow him to go into ANY STATE and do the same thing. We're suing him."
Tom Felton has ignited fierce debate online after voicing support for Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling during an interview with Variety at the 2025 Tony Awards.
The 37-year-old actor, best known for his decade-long portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the film franchise and set to reprise the role on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, was asked about his stance on the controversy surrounding Rowling's views on transgender rights.
'I'm not really that attuned. The only thing I always remind myself is that I've been lucky enough to travel the world. Here I am in New York. And I have not seen anything bring the world together more than Potter, and she's responsible for that. So I'm incredibly grateful.'
His comments have sparked a wave of differing reactions - while some applauded him for what they called a 'classy response,' others condemned it as 'atrocious,' 'spineless,' and 'disappointing.'
'Thank goodness someone in that franchise learned not to bite the hand that feeds him,' one user wrote on X. Another added, 'Who would have thought Draco would be the most level-headed.'
However, many feel let down by his comments.
'This is what privilege looks like, and we shouldn't ignore how much harm looking the other way because things don't affect us directly does,' one declared.
Another said: 'That's the problem ain't it, people not caring about issues that don't 'impact them'.'
Since 2020, the once-widely celebrated J.K. Rowling has alienated and angered many fans through her contentious online comments regarding gender identity and trans rights - including her claim that trans women 'are not women' and her refusal to use people's preferred pronouns - writing that she would 'rather go to jail' than do so. Critics have labelled her a 'TERF' (trans-exclusionary radical feminist), a term Rowling has since embraced publicly.
Her remarks prompted the three lead actors of the original film franchise - Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint - to publicly distance themselves from her.
Radcliffe told The Atlantic last year that her views 'make me really sad,' adding: 'Because I do look at the person that I met, the times that we met, and the books that she wrote, and the world that she created, and all of that is to me so deeply empathic.'
Watson has expressed her support for the trans community, saying: "Trans people are who they say they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are."
Grint echoed this sentiment: "I firmly stand with the trans community... Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgement."
Rowling has made it clear she won't forgive the actors who publicly disagreed with her. 'Celebs who cosied up to a movement intent on eroding women's hard-won rights... can save their apologies for traumatised detransitioners and vulnerable women reliant on single sex spaces,' she wrote on X.
Meanwhile, the wizarding world of Harry Potter continues to expand.
A new HBO reboot series is in the works, with Rowling on board as an executive producer. The casting for the central trio was announced last month, with Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton, and Alastair Stout set to play Harry, Hermione, and Ron, respectively.
Over 30,000 children auditioned for the roles in an open casting call last year.
They will join a stacked supporting cast including six-time Emmy-winning actor John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Professor McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Snape, Nick Frost as Hagrid, Luke Thallon as Professor Quirrell, and Paul Whitehouse as caretaker Argus Filch.
New additions were also revealed early this week: Johnny Flynn will portray Lucius Malfoy, with rising star Lox Pratt as Draco. The Morning Show's Bel Powley and BAFTA-winner Daniel Rigby will play Petunia and Vernon Dursley, while Katherine Parkinson (The IT Crowd) will take on the role of Molly Weasley.
Despite continued controversy around Rowling's public statements, HBO has stood by her involvement in the project: 'J.K. Rowling has a right to express her personal views. We will remain focused on the development of the new series, which will only benefit from her involvement.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
US judge orders humane conditions for migrant detainees at NY site
Images have emerged showing unsanitary and cramped conditions in a holding room in New York City's 26 Federal Plaza, where migrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are detained. Manhattan Judge Lewis Kaplan issued a temporary restraining order directing that no detainee be kept in less than 50 square feet (4.6 square meters) of space, without clean bedding and hygiene products, or be deprived of private attorney-client calls. ICE "shall not retaliate in any manner against Plaintiff (including in his or her immigration proceedings...) for complaining about any alleged violation of this temporary restraining order," Kaplan ordered. Hundreds of migrants have passed through the facility as immigration officers have stepped up their arrests of those going through the immigration court in a downtown skyscraper. Trump, who campaigned on a pledge to deport large numbers of migrants, has encouraged authorities to be more aggressive as he seeks to hit his widely reported target of one million deportations annually. Since Trump's return to the White House, Homeland Security agents have adopted the tactic -- criticized by rights groups -- of waiting outside immigration courts nationwide and arresting migrants as they leave at the end of asylum hearings. Armed agents with badges from different federal agencies loiter outside court hearings in the tower block in central New York, holding paperwork with photographs of migrants to be targeted, AFP has seen. In the complaint filed Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union and the New York Civil Liberties Foundation sued the Department of Homeland Security on behalf of Sergio Mercado and other unnamed detainees. The filing alleged that "immigrants (are) being detained in crowded rooms at a federal building in the heart of Manhattan without beds, sufficient food, hygiene products, access to showers, or the ability to communicate confidentially with attorneys." "They bring this action to challenge these unlawful conditions of confinement and ban on attorney access," said the class action suit. Eunice Cho, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU's National Prison Project, said "today's order sends a clear message: ICE cannot hold people in abusive conditions and deny them their Constitutional rights to due process and legal representation." "We'll continue to fight to ensure that peoples' rights are upheld at 26 Federal Plaza and beyond." The judge set a deadline of August 18 for the government to respond to the claims in the complaint ahead of a ruling on a preliminary injunction.
Local France
11 hours ago
- Local France
8 big problems that France faces this autumn
September in France marks la rentrée - when the kids go back to school, adults go back to work and the parliament starts a new term. It's traditionally a time for new ideas, fresh initiatives and planned legislation - but a highly combustible political situation, not to mention international tensions, make this year especially difficult. Battle over the budget France still has a significant budget deficit to address. The country finally managed to pass its 2025 budget in February, after the first version brought down Michel Barnier's government at the end of December. This year, the same challenge remains. In July, French Prime Minister François Bayrou gave an overview of what a possible 2026 budget could entail, intending to cut spending by €40 billion. Advertisement Bayrou floated plans such as cutting two public holidays and freezing spending increases (including on pensions and health), except for debt servicing and the defence sector. However, Bayrou's proposed cuts have not been popular amongst opposition parties, and the budget could end up bringing down another government. Debates in parliament begin in late September/early October. READ MORE: OPINION: Bayrou's budget has infuriated everyone and may force France into fresh elections Strikes and protests French unions have opposed Bayrou's proposals for budget cuts, and there is a possibility of large-scale mobilisation in September. The country's third-largest union, Force Ouvrière, has issued a strike notice for three months in autumn in response to cost-cutting measures announced by the prime minister. A meeting of France's inter-syndical - the group representing all the country's major unions - is scheduled for September 1st, and it's possible that other unions could join FO's action. Meanwhile, a previously unknown online group has issued a call for a complete blockade of the country from September 10th, which appears to be rapidly gaining traction. It remains to be seen how disruptive the action could be. Agriculture law (Loi Duplomb) While the piece of agricultural legislation known as the Loi Duplomb has been signed into law , it is possible there will be pushback as its key provisions begin to be enacted. The law caused a great deal of controversy in France, with more than 1 million people signing a petition to scrap it, in large part due to plans to reintroduce the bee-killing pesticide acetamiprid. Ultimately, France's Constitutional Council, the country's highest court, struck down the contested pesticide provision. However, the final version of the law also includes plans to change the rules on water storage , a topic that has also become more controversial as more parts of France suffer from increasing temperatures and drought each summer. Water supplies have already started to become a flashpoint - there were violent clashes in the south-west town of Sainte-Soline where giant underground water storage basins were being built in 2023. Advertisement Start of EES The EU is due to bring in its new Entry & Exit System (EES) on October 12th, 2025, with a six-month phased introduction. EES will require passengers to give biometric details, including fingerprints and a facial scan, and an automated passport scanning to keep track of time spent in the EU for those covered by the 90-day rule. Although the system covers all of the EU's external borders, there are particular worries about the busy UK-France border. READ MORE: Travel to France: Your questions answered about EES And ETIAS Trump tariffs The EU seems to have struck a deal with Washington for a 15 percent tariff on EU goods entering the US market - but this is more of an outline agreement and negotiations continue on certain sectors. As such, it is unclear when the tariffs would actually come into force. Overall, France is not one of the worst-affected EU countries - Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Belgium are expected to be the worst hit - but there are some areas and industries that would be hit especially hard. In 2024, French exports to the US were driven by aeronautics, beverages (wine and Cognac) , and pharmaceuticals. READ MORE: Why Normandy is the French region hardest hit by US tariffs Brexit cards As the first post-Brexit residency permits - known as the Article 50 TUE cartes de séjour or WARP cards - begin to reach their expiration dates at the end of 2025 and early 2026, the French government must soon announce instructions for card renewals. Advertisement Brits who were living in France prior to Brexit and have the five-year card should benefit from a simplified renewal process as outlined in the Withdrawal Agreement - but at present it not clear exactly how the card renewals will be done (eg online or in person, using a special website or the standard ANEF site). The Local has been in touch with the Interior Ministry to ask about procedures for renewals. READ MORE: Latest: What's the deal with renewing the post-Brexit carte de séjour Immigration law As for other residency-related questions - as part of the 2024 immigration law, the French parliament voted to bring in stricter language requirements for certain residency cards and French nationality, from January 2026. READ MORE: Your questions answered: New French language requirements for foreigners Those making their first application for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle (multi-year card, max duration of four years) will from January need to demonstrate a French level of at least A2 according to the DELF/ CERL international language scale. Those making their first application for a 10-year carte de résident (in most cases, available after five years of consecutive residency) will need to demonstrate at least B1 level in French - an increase from the previous requirement of A2. Those applying for French citizenship will need to demonstrate at least B2 level in French, instead of the previous requirement of B1. Citizenship applications from January 1st will also involve a written civics exam, with the details to be announced in the coming weeks. As such, préfectures have a lot of preparation to do this autumn, and many are dealing with significant backlogs. It is possible that the culmination of several new requirements could lead to more delays. READ MORE: New law: What's changing and what's staying the same for French citizenship? International situation This isn't a France specific problem of course, but the international situation remains tense. France has taken a lead when it comes to military aid to Ukraine, with France and the UK - as Europe's two major military powers - agreeing to a 'reassurance force' to be deployed in the country. The situation in Gaza shows no sign of improving and president Emmanuel Macron has pledged that France will formally recognise the state of Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September. France, which has both Europe's largest Jewish population and its largest Muslim population, remains on high alert for the potential for the conflict to spark unrest or terrorists threats within Europe.
LeMonde
12 hours ago
- LeMonde
Macron admits France waged a repressive war in Cameroon during its decolonisation
France waged a "war" in Cameroon marked by "repressive violence" during and after the African country's decolonisation in the late 1950s, President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged, in a letter published on Tuesday, August 12. The letter, sent to his Cameroonian counterpart last month, is the latest example of France's efforts under Macron to come to terms with its often-bloody colonial history. The admission follows an official report, published by a historical commission in January, which said that France implemented mass forced displacement, pushed hundreds of thousands of Cameroonians into internment camps and supported brutal militias to quash the central African country's push for sovereignty. The historical commission examined France's role in the years both leading up to and after Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1, 1960. "The historians of the commission made it very clear that there was a war in Cameroon, during which the colonial authorities and the French army carried out repressive violence of several kinds (...) that continued after 1960," Macron said in the letter to Cameroonian President Paul Biya, published by the French presidency. "It is incumbent on me today to accept France's role and responsibility in these events," he said. A bilateral 'working group' Macron announced the creation of the commission during a 2022 trip to the Cameroonian capital, Yaounde. Composed of both French and Cameroonian historians, the 14-person committee looked into France's role in the country between 1945 and 1971, based on declassified archives, eyewitness accounts and field surveys. Macron said that France would facilitate access to its archives so that researchers could build on the commission's findings. He also suggested the creation of a bilateral "working group" to help monitor progress in ongoing research and education. 'Tens of thousands of lives' Most of Cameroon came under French rule in 1918 after the defeat of its previous colonial ruler, Germany, during World War I. Yet a brutal conflict unfolded when the country began pushing for its independence following World War II, a move France repressed violently, according to the report's findings. Between 1956 and 1961, France's fight against Cameroonian independence claimed "tens of thousands of lives" and left hundreds of thousands displaced, the historians said. For many in France, the war in Cameroon went unnoticed because it mainly involved troops from colonies in Africa and was overshadowed by the French fight in Algeria's 1954-1962 war of independence. Even after Cameroon gained independence in 1960, Paris remained deeply involved in its governance, working closely with the "authoritarian and autocratic" government of Ahmadou Ahidjo, who stayed in power until 1982. France's historical record Macron has taken tentative steps to come to terms with once-taboo aspects of France's historical record, though many argue he has not gone far enough. A 2021 report concluded France bore "overwhelming responsibilities" in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and a 2020 review examining France's actions during Algeria's war of independence called for a "truth commission" and other conciliatory actions. Macron has, however, ruled out any official apology for torture and other abuses carried out by French troops in Algeria.
