Bruce Springsteen Releases Protest Song About Tragic Events in Minneapolis
Legendary American rock musician Bruce Springsteen has unveiled a new composition titled “Streets of Minneapolis”, which became his public response to the deaths of two people in Minneapolis during operations carried out by federal law enforcement agencies. The song was released online without prior announcement and immediately drew attention from both the music community and major international media outlets.
According to the artist, work on the composition took only a few days. Springsteen wrote the song over the weekend, recorded it shortly afterward, and released it without delay, noting that he found it impossible to postpone the release given the gravity of the events. The musician stated that the song is dedicated to the residents of Minneapolis, its immigrant communities, and the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who died as a result of the use of force by federal agents.
The track is performed in a hard rock style with dense instrumentation and choral elements. In the lyrics, Bruce Springsteen openly criticizes the actions of federal authorities and officers of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), describing what happened as a manifestation of systemic violence. The song directly references the real events of January and contains emotionally charged lines about fear, pain, and loss experienced by the city.
The tragic incidents referenced in the song occurred in Minneapolis earlier this year. In one case, 37-year-old Alex Pretti, a medical worker, was killed after, according to eyewitness accounts, being present near the site of a federal operation and recording agents’ actions. In another incident, Renee Good was fatally shot during a separate raid conducted by federal officers. Both cases sparked widespread public outrage and calls for independent investigations.
The new song fits organically into Springsteen’s long-standing tradition of using music as a form of civic expression. Bruce Springsteen’s protest songs have long been part of his creative legacy, and “Streets of Minneapolis” continues a line of works addressing civil rights, social justice, and government accountability.
Earlier this month, the musician had already spoken out about the events in Minneapolis from the stage, dedicating one of his well-known songs to the victims and calling for a reassessment of federal enforcement practices. The new release further reinforces this message, making it accessible to a global audience.
The title of the song references Springsteen’s iconic track “Streets of Philadelphia”, which earned him an Academy Award in 1994—a choice many critics see as a deliberate artistic gesture. Within hours of its release, Bruce Springsteen’s new song was widely discussed on social media, with listeners noting once again the artist’s willingness to address painful and controversial topics directly, without softening his language.
