Bruce Springsteen played his anti-Trump protest song ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’ at a No Kings rally today – watch footage below.
The Boss is preparing to kick off his ‘Land Of Hope And Dreams’ US tour this week (March 31) in Minneapolis, but he made an early stop at Harriet Island Regional Park in St. Paul, Minnesota on Saturday (March 28) to perform at the protest event.
‘Streets Of Minneapolis’ was first performed in January and was written as a direct response to the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretty by ICE officers that month, and he took the chance to play the song again for a Minnesota audience.
Addressing the crowd, Springsteen said: “This past winter, federal troops brought death and terror to the streets of Minneapolis, but they picked the wrong city. The power and the solidarity of the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota was an inspiration to the entire country. Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America, and this reactionary nightmare – and these invasions of American cities – will not stand. You gave us hope, you gave us courage.”
“And for those who gave their lives: Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered. Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE. Shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths. Their bravery, their sacrifice, and their names will not be forgotten,” he added.
Watch his performance of ‘Streets Of Minneapolis’ here:
The ‘Land Of Hope And Dreams’ tour will see Springsteen joined by Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello at every date, with the tour set to run up until a show in Washington DC on May 27. See the full list of dates here and find any remaining tickets here.
Announcing the tour, Springsteen said: “We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair – the cavalry is coming!”
“We will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America – American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution and our sacred American dream – all of which are under attack by our wannabe king and his rogue government in Washington, D.C. Everyone, regardless of where you stand or what you believe in, is welcome – so come on out and join the United Free Republic of E Street Nation for an American spring of Rock ‘n’ Rebellion! I’ll see you there!”
The January show in Minneapolis was billed as “a concert of solidarity and resistance to defend Minnesota”, and it saw Morello join Springsteen for a guitar-shredding version of ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’, as well as a set of his own, made up of Rage and Audioslave classics.
The tour has not yet begun but it has already incurred the ire of the White House, with Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung saying: “When this loser Springsteen comes back home to his own City of Ruins in his head, he’ll realize his Glory Days are behind him and his fans have left him Out in the Street, putting him in a Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out because he has a severe case of Trump Derangement Syndrome that has rotted his brain”.
Springsteen has since said the tour is “going to be political” and has confirmed that he is prepared for the “blowback”.
The Boss has previously called for the POTUS to be impeached and “consigned to the trash heap of history”. He has also described Trump as “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous”, and endorsed the No Kings movement against him last October.