Bruce Springsteen is a declared opponent of Donald Trump.Image: keystone
US rock legend Bruce Springsteen (76, “Born in the USA”) dedicates a protest anthem to the citizens of Minneapolis in which he condemns the brutal operations of the US immigration authorities ICE at the behest of President Donald Trump.
01/29/2026, 04:2401/29/2026, 04:24
In the song “Streets of Minneapolis,” Springsteen denounces, among other things, “King Trump’s private army,” “trampling on our rights,” and sings about a burning city “under the boots of the occupiers,” fighting “fire and ice (Ice)” in the winter.
The rocker writes on his website that the song is dedicated “to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renée Good.” He wrote the song on Saturday, recorded it on Tuesday and released it on Wednesday – “as a response to the state terror” that is plaguing the city in the state of Minnesota. Accompanied by shouts of “ICE Out,” Springsteen calls on the song to “stand up for this country and the stranger in our midst.”
The lyrics of “Streets of Minneapolis”:
Down Nicollet Ave
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 ring 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
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
We’ll take our stand for this country
And the stranger in our midst
Here in our home they killed and roamed
In the winter of ’26
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
Trump’s federal thugs beat up on
His face and his chest
Then we heard the gunshots
And 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
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
Now they say they’re here to uphold the law
But they trample on our rights
If your skin is black or brown my friend
You can be questioned or deported on sight
In chants of ICE out now
Our city’s heart and soul persists
Through broken glass and bloody tears
On the streets of Minneapolis
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
Here in our home they killed and roamed
In the winter of ’26
We’ll take our stand for this country
And the stranger in our midst
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
ICE operations massively criticized
Both ICE and other cooperating authorities are criticized for the brutal implementation of Trump’s deportation policy with martial raids. Protests against the actions of federal officials became even louder after Renée Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer in early January. Last Saturday, nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by federal officers during an operation. People across the country then took to the streets to protest against Trump, his deportation policies and the rigorous actions of the authorities in his service.
Oscar winner against US president
Bruce Springsteen has long been known as a critic of the US president. Last June, during his tour stop in Berlin, he also spoke out against the Republican, criticizing deportation raids and the government’s handling of demonstrations in Los Angeles. “They are deploying the American military on America’s streets based on falsehoods about a foreign invasion,” the singer said at the Olympic Stadium in front of tens of thousands of fans.
The song title “Streets of Minneapolis” is reminiscent of the famous Springsteen song “Streets Of Philadelphia,” which the rocker wrote about the AIDS crisis for the film drama “Philadelphia” (1993). The musician won several awards, including the Oscar for Best Original Song. (sda/dpa/con)