The Boss has released an angry anthem called “Streets of Minneapolis” – with multiple political references, including to “Trump’s federal thugs” – in reaction to the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
“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 Wednesday, Jan. 28, statement on social media. “It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
He signed the message with, “Stay free, Bruce Springsteen.”
In the song, Springsteen sings: “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.”
The lyrics also include: “Then we heard the gunshots / Then Alex Pretti lay in the snow, dead / Their claim was self-defense, sir / Just don’t believe your eyes / It’s our blood and bones and these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies.”
Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, was shot and killed during a confrontation with federal agents who were conducting an immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis on Jan. 24. Pretti was the second person, after 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good, to be fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis since President Donald Trump commenced what he’s called the “largest immigration enforcement operation ever” in Minnesota.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller was met with blowback for labeling Pretti a “terrorist” who was attempting to “murder federal agents,” in the immediate aftermath of Pretti’s killing.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also called Pretti a “domestic terrorist” and said Pretti approached officers with a pistol; bystander videos showed Pretti holding a phone, rather than a gun, though DHS said Pretti was in possession of a handgun and two magazines at the time of his killing. Tricia McLaughlin, the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, on Jan. 24 said the agent had “fired defensive shots.”
On Jan. 28, during an appearance on Fox Business, McLaughlin blamed U.S. Customs and Border Protection for Noem’s and other Trump administration officials’ initial statements about the details of Pretti’s killing. Federal agencies are investigating the incident.
Trump administration blasts ‘random songs with irrelevant opinions’
When reached for comment about Springsteen’s song, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said, “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.”
The statement continued, “The media should cover how Democrats have refused to work with the Administration, and instead, opted to provide sanctuary for these criminal illegals.”
In a statement to USA TODAY, McLaughlin of the DHS said, “We eagerly await Mr. Springsteen’s songs dedicated to the thousands of American citizens killed by criminal illegal aliens. Every day, the brave men and women of ICE are saving lives by arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens, including murderers, rapists, pedophiles, drug dealers, gang members, and terrorists.”
Federal data show that non-criminals have been detained during the Trump administration’s increased immigration enforcement raids across the country. The libertarian Cato Institute said in a November report that “leaked” Immigration and Customs Enforcement data showed 5% of people had violent convictions, and 73% had no criminal convictions. The Guardian reported the following month that the record-high ICE detention numbers mostly comprised immigrants with no criminal records.
Listen to Bruce Springsteen song ‘Streets of Minneapolis’
The track has a folk foundation but soon picks up steam thanks to a crunchy electric guitar, swirling organ and the Boss’ intensifying intonation.
Springsteen spoke out about the federal action in Minnesota prior to performing “The Promised Land” at the Jan. 17 Light of Day show.
“Those values and those ideals have never been as endangered as they are right now,” Springsteen said. “So as we gather tonight in this beautiful display of love and care and thoughtfulness and community, if you believe in democracy and liberty and believe the truth still matters, you must speak out, and it’s worth fighting for.
“If you believe in the power of the law and that no one stands above it. If you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading an American city, using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens. If you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, send a message to this president as the mayor of that city has said, ICE should get … out of Minneapolis.”
Springsteen, a frequent critic of Trump’s, previously delivered state of democracy speeches, which also criticized the Trump administration, during the E Street Band’s tour of Europe last year.
