Like many of us, Bruce Springsteen has been watching in horror as Donald Trump's militarized police forces in ICE and CBP terrorize Minneapolis, killing with impunity and disregarding the bill of rights under the guise of enforcing immigration law. After a swarm of agents executed nurse Alex Pretti in the street Saturday, Springsteen wrote a protest song. It names Pretti and previous ICE murder victim Renee Good by name, as well as Trump, Stephen Miller, and Kristi Noem. It's called "Streets Of Minneapolis," and Springsteen shared this note with it:
I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Stay free, Bruce Springsteen
Listen below.
Billy Bragg also wrote, recorded, and released a new anti-ICE protest song this week. It's an acoustic number called "City Of Heroes," and you can hear it right here:
Lastly, Springsteen's comrade Tom Morello has announced a matinee benefit show for Good and Pretti's families. Morello and Rise Against will headline the legendary Minneapolis venue First Avenue this Friday, Jan. 30 at noon. The show also features Al Di Meola, Ike Reilly, and a "very special guest." Morello shared this statement:
If it looks like fascism, sounds like fascism, acts like fascism, dresses like fascism, talks like fascism, kills like fascism and lies like fascism, boys & girls it’s f*cking fascism. It’s here, it’s now, it’s in my city, it’s in your city and it must be resisted, protested, defended against, stood up to, exposed, ousted, overthrown and driven out. By you and by me. We are coming to Minneapolis where the people have heroically stood up against ICE, stood up against Trump, stood up against this terrible rising tide of state terror. Where the people have stood up for their neighbors and themselves, for democracy and justice. Ain’t nobody coming to save us except us and it’s now or never.
Tickets are on sale here.
