During a surprise performance at a New Jersey benefit concert Saturday night, Bruce Springsteen dedicated a song to the late Renee Good and said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should \u201cget the f\u2014 out of Minneapolis.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his lengthy introduction to \u201cThe Promised Land\u201d \u2014 which he called \u201cprobably one of my greatest songs\u201d and \u201can ode to American possibility\u201d \u2014 Springsteen said we are living through incredibly critical times and that the country\u2019s ideals and values of the past 250 years are being tested like never before.<\/p>\n
He asked the crowd if they believe democracy, liberty and truth are worth speaking out and fighting for and that \u201cif you believe you don\u2019t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president. And as the mayor of that city has said, ICE should get the f\u2014 out of Minneapolis. So this one is for you, and the memory of the mother of three and American citizen Renee Good.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 37-year-old Good was fatally shot by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on Jan. 7. Later that day, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called out Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem\u2019s description of the incident as an \u201cact of domestic terrorism,\u201d saying it was \u201cgarbage\u201d and \u201cbull\u2014-\u201d<\/a> before telling ICE to \u201cget the f\u2014 out of Minneapolis.\u201d<\/p>\n As was first reported by NJArts.net<\/a>, a nonprofit media outlet in the Garden State, Springsteen performed an unannounced but not entirely unexpected 75-minute set at the Light of Day festival, which benefits research for Parkinson\u2019s disease. He was backed by his friend Joe Grushecky\u2019s Houserockers during an evening that also included guest turns from Gary U.S. Bonds, Willie Nile, Goo Goo Dolls\u2019 Johnny Rzeznik and Low Cut Connie\u2019s Adam Weiner.<\/p>\n Springsteen had previously appeared at 13 Light of Day festivals in the organization\u2019s 26-year history.<\/p>\n While his lyrics have often touched on political themes, Springsteen took a more public stance when he performed during the Vote for Change tour in 2004. Presented by moveon.org<\/a>, the tour was held in swing states and was designed to encourage people to register and vote. Springsteen performed at the former Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul as well as at tour stops in Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Orlando, Fla., East Rutherford, N.J., and Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n In 2008, Springsteen endorsed Barack Obama\u2019s presidential campaign and appeared at several rallies. He\u2019s also been a vocal critic of Donald Trump. In 2016, he told Rolling Stone<\/a> that \u201cthe republic is under siege by a moron, basically. The whole thing is tragic. Without overstating it, it\u2019s a tragedy for our democracy. \u2026 The ideas he\u2019s moving to the mainstream are all very dangerous ideas \u2014 white nationalism and the alt-right movement.\u201d<\/p>\n