Danvers-raised musical comedian Robby Potlyo, also known as Robby Roadsteamer, is suing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following his detainment while attending a demonstration in front of a Portland, Oregon, ICE facility earlier this month.
Potlyo, who is now free and back in Boston, is a full-time comedian who can often be seen at protests around the country pulling along his 100W amp and singing parody songs while dressed in animal onesies or as various original characters.
“I basically protest through a comedy vernacular,” he said. “Absurdity against absurdity always pays off, because you can’t fight MAGA or ICE with valor, because they’re absurd to begin with.”
On Oct. 15, Potlyo attended protest in Portland where, dressed in a giraffe onesie, he sang a parody of Rod Stewart’s 1978 song “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?” with the lyrics “If you are a Nazi — and you hate brown people — come on ICE leave Portland.”
While Potlyo’s video of the incident shows Potlyo behind the Do Not Cross line in front of the ICE facility, ICE agents can be seen shooting him and his amplifier with pepper-spray balls and then dragging him into the facility.
Potlyo received a citation for trespassing and failing to comply with the direct order of a law enforcement officer to not cross the facility’s blue painted line.
“You can clearly see that I’m on the other side of the blue line, there’s plenty of videos up on my YouTube,” he said. “First they tried to threaten me with federal litigation — trespassing on federal property, and having marijuana on federal property even though it’s legal in Portland. And after 20 minutes, I was still in-character.
“I feel like I was able to talk it down to a citation, but I’m going to sue them on my end, so they should be the ones more worried.”
Potlyo is currently meeting with attorneys to organize a class-action lawsuit alongside other protestors who claim that they were wrongfully detained. A GoFundMe page started by Potlyo on Oct. 17 to cover the costs of the lawsuit has already received $119,149.
“This is to try and grind the wheels to a halt of what these bastards are doing to our marginalized people in this country, and I’m just so excited to get the ball rolling on that,” Potlyo said.
Outside of his more recent viral videos, North Shore locals may recognize Potlyo from his public access television show “Can of worms,” which ran for six years on Peabody Cable Television, where Potlyo would interview his friends and travel to various North Shore landmarks such as the Kowloon restaurant.
Years later, now as a full-time comedian, Potlyo still hopes to inspire the next generation to make a career out of their comedy and creativity.
“Your parents are going to want you to be landscapers, or public accountants, or pitchers for the Red Sox,” he said. “And I’m here to tell you that performance art activism is the new punk. Get in an animal costume, get out there and sing a song, and make them miffed.”
Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202