Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday released a new protest song titled "Streets of Minneapolis," written to commemorate residents' protests against the Trump administration's ongoing immigration crackdown in the city.
The song references Minneapolis locales, "King Trump’s private army," and the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good after they were shot by Border Patrol and ICE officers earlier in January.
"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," Springsteen said in a statement on Wednesday. "It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good."
The song begins:
Through the winter’s ice and cold
Down Nicollet Avenue
A city aflame fought fire and ice
‘Neath an occupier’s boots
King Trump’s private army from the DHS
Guns belted to their coats
Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law
Or so their story goes
Against smoke and rubber bullets
By the dawn’s early light
Citizens stood for justice
Their voices ringing through the night
And there were bloody footprints
Where mercy should have stood
And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets
Alex Pretti and Renee Good
The White House released a statement in response to the song:
"The Trump Administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information," spokesperson Abigail Jackson said.
