On Saturday, March 28, the steps of the Minnesota State Capitol became the most politically charged concert stage in America. Bruce Springsteen took that stage before an enormous crowd and performed “Streets of Minneapolis” — his protest anthem written in direct response to the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of ICE agents — for only the third time since its January release. What unfolded was not just a performance. It was a statement, a reckoning, and for many of the people who stood in the cold that afternoon, something they will not forget for the rest of their lives.
The St. Paul event served as the national flagship rally of the No Kings movement — the third round of nationwide protests against the Trump administration. Organizers said more than 3,100 events were registered across all 50 states, 500 more than at the October rallies, with parallel demonstrations happening internationally in cities including Rome, Paris, and Berlin. U.S. organizers estimated the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people in June and 7 million in October, and they expected 9 million participants on Saturday. Minnesota was chosen as the flagship location for a specific and painful reason — because this winter, it became the front line.
The backdrop to the rally was Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s mass immigration enforcement campaign that sent roughly 3,000 federal agents into the Minneapolis area earlier this year. Two American citizens — Renee Good and Alex Pretti — were fatally shot by federal agents during the operation. Their deaths set off a wave of public outrage and resistance that ultimately drove ICE out of the state and became a defining moment in the broader national debate over immigration enforcement. Minnesota did not back down. The rest of the country noticed.
Springsteen wrote and recorded “Streets of Minneapolis” in the immediate aftermath of the shootings, releasing it within days. He released a statement alongside the song: “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. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free.” The first live performance came during a surprise appearance at Tom Morello’s anti-ICE benefit concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis. Saturday’s rally was only the third time he played it.
Introduced to the stage by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Springsteen spoke at length before performing. His words were deliberate and unflinching. “This past winter, federal troops brought death and terror to the streets of Minneapolis,” he told the crowd. “They picked the wrong city. The power and the solidarity of the people of Minneapolis and Minnesota was an inspiration to the entire country. Your strength and your commitment told us that this is still America, and this reactionary nightmare — and these invasions of American cities — will not stand. You gave us hope, you gave us courage.”
He then named the dead by name. “Renee Good, mother of three, brutally murdered. Alex Pretti, VA nurse, executed by ICE. Shot in the back and left to die in the street without even the decency of our lawless government investigating their deaths. Their bravery, their sacrifice, and their names will not be forgotten.” The crowd responded with a chant of “ICE out now” before he launched into the song.
Springsteen had spoken to the Minnesota Star Tribune earlier in the week about the significance of the moment: “The No Kings movement is of great import right now. When you have the opportunity to sing something where the timing is essential and if you have something powerful to sing, it elevates the moment, it elevates your job to another level.”
The musical lineup surrounding Springsteen was equally powerful. Maggie Rogers brought Joan Baez and Tom Morello to the stage to perform Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’.” Morello changed the lyrics during his verse, singing: “Minneapolis, Minnesota is beyond your command. Your old road is rapidly aging, so get the f*** out the way if you can’t lend a hand.” Baez then led the crowd in the Civil Rights-era anthem “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around” with the Twin Cities Singing Resistance and Brass Solidarity, a band founded in 2021 in response to the murder of George Floyd.
The political voices were just as forceful. Senator Bernie Sanders invoked the founding of the republic: “In 1789, they said loudly and boldly to the world that in this new nation of America, we don’t want kings. Our message is exactly the same: No more kings. We will not allow this country to descend into authoritarianism or oligarchy. In America, we the people will rule.” Sanders also told the crowd: “When historians write about this dangerous moment in American history, when they write about courage and sacrifice, the people of Minnesota will deserve a special chapter.”
Governor Tim Walz pushed back sharply on the Trump administration’s characterization of protesters as radicals, telling the crowd: “You’re damn right we’ve been radicalized.” Attorney General Keith Ellison took the stage alongside Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and told the crowd: “I want you to think about all of us and the price that we paid in order to kick ICE’s ass out of our state. Freedom isn’t free, and some of us have to pay the dearest cost for the sake of freedom.”
Before Springsteen took the stage, organizers played a pre-recorded video message from actor Robert De Niro, who said he congratulated Minnesotans for running ICE out of town and called those who stood against the federal agents brave in the face of armed attack. On the Capitol steps, protesters held up a massive sign that read: “We had whistles, they had guns. The revolution starts in Minneapolis.”
The White House response was dismissive. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said: “The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them.”
Springsteen’s appearance at the No Kings rally comes just days before the launch of his “Land of Hope and Dreams” tour, which kicks off March 31 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Tom Morello will join him at every date, with the tour running through a final show in Washington D.C. on May 27. Announcing the tour, Springsteen said: “We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair — the cavalry is coming. We will be rocking your town in celebration and in defense of America — American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution and our sacred American dream — all of which are under attack by our wannabe king and his rogue government in Washington D.C.”
Saturday’s rally wrapped around 5 p.m. What it leaves behind is harder to quantify — a city that has been through something painful and historic this winter, a movement that is growing with every round of protests, and a song that may be the most direct piece of protest music Springsteen has ever written. Minnesota chose to stand. The rest of the country showed up to say so.
