The news out of Minneapolis, Minnesota, continues to report tense conditions in the city after ICE agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. In response, several artists have publicly shown support for the victims’ families and Minneapolis residents who have been engaged in active protests.
Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg have both released new singles in response to the fraught situation. Additionally, Tom Morello has organized a fundraiser for the city and its residents.
Springsteen’s single, “Streets of Minneapolis”, mourns the deaths of Good and Pretti. In a statement, he said, “[The song is] dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free.”
Through his familiar evocative lyricism, the song recounts the moments leading up to both tragic events, concluding with a sentiment of remembrance: “We’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis.”
This is far from the first time Springsteen has publicly denounced the U.S. president, often using his platform at live shows to call for accountability and change. Here, he also doesn’t shy away from naming names: “King Trump’s private army from the DHS / Guns belted to their coats.”
Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, and Tom Morello Call Attention to Situation in Minneapolis, Share Support
Singer-songwriter Billy Bragg has also released a single, “City of Heroes”, which he wrote and recorded in roughly 24 hours. Bragg, however, included historical comparisons in his lyrics, calling out injustice by naming some very different names.
“The ghost of Martin Niemöller haunts the halls of history / When they came for the communists / He said, ‘It’s nothing to do with me’,” sings Bragg. With a reference to Niemöller, the German pastor and early Nazi sympathizer, Bragg puts certain imagery in listeners’ minds. Additionally, the lyric “‘It’s nothing to do with me’” is a direct reference to a well-known Niemöller quote.
The song continues, “They use tear gas and pepper spray / Against our whistles and our phones / But in this city of heroes / We will protect our home.”
Upon releasing the single, Bragg noted the devastating news continually coming out of Minneapolis. He also spoke of the killings. “That these crimes can be committed in broad daylight, on camera and yet no one is held accountable only adds to the injustice,” he said in a statement, per NME.
‘Ain’t Nobody Coming To Save Us Except Us,’ Says Tom Morello
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine is also making a statement and showing support for Minneapolis. On January 30, he will kick off a fundraising concert event called Defend Minnesota! taking place at the First Avenue venue in Minneapolis.
Tickets are $25, and the event starts at 10:30 a.m. CT. Morello is headlining, alongside Rise Against, guitarist Al Di Meola, singer-songwriter Ike Reilly, and a surprise guest. On social media, Morello described the event as “a concert of solidarity and resistance.”
The post added, “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***ing fascism.”
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for AFI
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