Billy Bragg has released a new song, “City of Heroes,” in support of protesters in Minneapolis standing up to ICE following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Stream it below.
Written, recorded, and released within 24 hours, the passionate “City of Heroes” is a call for resistance, beginning with a reference to German pastor Martin Niemöller’s silence during the rise of the Nazis. “The ghost of Martin Niemöller/ Haunts the halls of history,” Bragg sings. “When they came for the communists/ He said, ‘It’s nothing to do with me.’”
Bragg continues, “When they came for the immigrants/ I got in their face… They use tear gas and pepper spray/ Against our whistles and our phones/ But in this city of heroes/ We will protect our home.”
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“The murder of Alex Pretti was horrifically shocking,” Bragg added in a statement. “All the more so as we are still reeling from the images of the murder of Renee Good. That these crimes can be committed in broad daylight, on camera and yet no one is held accountable only adds to the injustice.”
He continued, “I wrote this song as a tribute to the bravery of the people of Minneapolis. Knowing that these trigger-happy ICE thugs operate in their midst, they are still willing to put themselves in harm’s way to defend their community. Their resistance is an inspiration to us all.”
Earlier today, Bruce Springsteen paid tribute to Good and Pretti with his own song, “Streets of Minneapolis.” Revisit our list of five anti-ICE songs you can listen to now, which we’ll be updating as even more new songs are released.
