Rock n Roll
Music Meets Activism: Springsteen and Morello Ignite Minneapolis Protest Concert
The Defend Minnesota! event was designed not just as a performance, but as a fundraising and mobilization effort. Proceeds from the show were directed toward the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both of whom were killed in separate incidents involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers earlier this month.
Legendary rock musicians Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello transformed First Avenue into a rallying point for activism and solidarity on Friday night, as the sold-out Defend Minnesota! concert blended protest, music, and community action in downtown Minneapolis.
Organized by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, the benefit concert drew an impassioned crowd eager to support local families affected by recent immigration enforcement violence while amplifying calls for justice and democratic accountability.
A Concert With a Cause
The Defend Minnesota! event was designed not just as a performance, but as a fundraising and mobilization effort. Proceeds from the show were directed toward the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, both of whom were killed in separate incidents involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers earlier this month.
Despite selling out rapidly, dozens of fans lined up outside First Avenue in hopes of securing last-minute tickets. Inside, the atmosphere was electric, fueled by shared anger, grief, and determination.
“You have stood up for your neighbors, for democracy, and for justice,” Tom Morello told the audience. “Nobody is coming to save us except us — and you are showing the way.”
A Powerful Lineup, A Historic Moment
The concert featured performances from Ike Reilly, Rise Against, and Tom Morello himself, each act intensifying the crowd’s energy. The night reached its emotional peak when Bruce Springsteen made a surprise appearance roughly two hours into the show.
Bruce Springsteen opened with the live debut of his new protest song, “Streets of Minneapolis,” written in direct response to the killing of Alex Pretti. The raw, urgent performance was met with thunderous applause and quickly spread across social media platforms.
He followed the debut with “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” a song long associated with social justice themes, before closing the night alongside Morello and other performers with a collective rendition of John Lennon’s “Power to the People.”
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Rock as Resistance
Fans described the concert as both cathartic and galvanizing. “There’s no band that speaks out against fascism like Rage Against the Machine,” said one attendee. “They’ve never wavered.”
Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello have remained outspoken critics of Donald Trump and federal immigration policies, frequently using their platforms to challenge authority and mobilize audiences. Friday’s concert reinforced rock music’s enduring role as a vehicle for protest and political expression.
As attendees prepared for a subsequent march through The Streets of Minneapolis, the message of the night was clear: music can still move people — and sometimes, it can move movements.
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