In the middle of a concert in London, Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong made a bold statement in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade. Fueled by outrage over the lack of protection for women’s reproductive rights in the United States, Armstrong declared his intention to renounce his American citizenship right then and there.
His impassioned speech to the London crowd condemned the Supreme Court’s ruling and criticized the state of affairs in the US. He expressed a desire to distance himself from his home country, even hinting at a potential move to the United Kingdom. The audience responded with applause, showing solidarity with Armstrong’s stance.
The following day, Armstrong doubled down on his condemnation of the Supreme Court’s decision during another performance. With explicit language, he denounced both the Court and America, emphasizing his discontent with the direction of the country.
Armstrong’s actions are part of a larger wave of backlash from artists and activists against the erosion of reproductive rights in the US. Singer Billie Eilish, among others, has also voiced her dismay at the Court’s decision.
“F— America. I’m f—ing renouncing my citizenship. I’m f—ing coming here,” Armstrong told concertgoers during a show at the London Stadium on Friday, which was part of his band’s Hella Mega tour with Fall Out Boy and Weezer.
“There’s too much f—ing stupid in the world to go back to that miserable f—ing excuse for a country,” he continued, before assuring fans before him that he was serious.
“Oh, I’m not kidding, you’re going to get a lot of me in the coming days,” the “American Idiot” musician — who has long been politically outspoken — added.
What are your thoughts on Armstrong’s decision to renounce his American citizenship in protest?