British freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy has shared a provocative Instagram photo claiming to show the words ‘f*** ICE’ written in snow, just days before competing at the Winter Olympics in Milan.
Anti-ICE Protest Amid Security Tensions
The 34-year-old athlete, who won Olympic silver for the United States in 2014 before switching to Team GB, targeted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The post coincides with heightened controversy over ICE officers accompanying the U.S. delegation’s security detail in Italy.
Local outrage has grown after ICE agents were linked to the deaths of two American citizens during a crackdown in Minnesota. Milan’s mayor labeled the group ‘a militia that kills,’ sparking protests across the city over the past week. Further demonstrations are anticipated on Friday near the opening ceremony, attended by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.
Kenworthy’s Social Media Call to Action
Kenworthy, with 1.2 million Instagram followers, urged action against ICE. In recent comments, he stated: ‘I’ve been waiting to say this in any interview, but just f*** ICE so hard right now. F*** ICE.’
The image, possibly AI-generated, included a ‘sample script’ for U.S. citizens to contact senators during DHS funding talks. It reads in part: ‘Innocent people have been murdered, and enough is enough. We can’t wait around while ICE continues to operate with unchecked power in our communities. Senators still have leverage right now, and Senator [Name] must use it to demand real guardrails and accountability – including getting ICE and CBP out of our communities, ending blank-check funding for brutality, and establishing clear limits on warrantless arrests, profiling, and enforcement at sensitive locations like schools and hospitals.’
Olympic Rules and Team Response
The Olympic charter prohibits political demonstrations at Olympic sites, but the International Olympic Committee clarified that personal social media posts fall outside their regulation under Athlete Expression Guidelines.
Team GB officials express no concern, noting the photo predates Kenworthy’s arrival in Italy. Born in the UK and based in Colorado, he has faced ‘traitor’ accusations in the U.S. for the allegiance switch between 2014 and 2018.
Kenworthy recently defended his decision: ‘I do feel like I’m American, but I also do feel like I’m British, and that’s where I was born and my mum’s British. I’ve definitely gotten s*** where people are like, “You’re a traitor,” and I don’t think of it that way. I had this choice in 2014 to go for either country… I live in the States… and I won a medal.’
Past Spotlight Moments
Kenworthy previously drew attention at the 2014 Sochi Games. After earning silver shortly before Valentine’s Day, he named Miley Cyrus as his ‘dream date’ and ‘celeb crush’—while secretly in a relationship with a man, before coming out as gay.
