Bruce Springsteen Denounces ‘Lawless Government’ in Power to the People Speech
Bruce Springsteen headlined the inaugural Power to the People protest festival in Washington, DC, using his platform to lambast the administration, call out what he termed a “lawless” government, and address ICE.
The Power to the People Festival
Organized by Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello, the event is described as “a celebration of peace, love, justice, music and community action.” Ahead of the event, Morello explained the urgency of the festival in an interview, noting that artists and listeners alike could face censorship and eviction in the future, stating, “But not today, and certainly not on October 3rd.”
A portion of ticket sale proceeds from the event benefits organizations VoteRiders and HeadCount.
Springsteen’s Opening Statement
Springsteen kicked off his headlining set with an acoustic rendition of his protest song “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he wrote following the heightened presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis earlier in the year.
Introducing the song, Springsteen addressed the crowd:
“This past winter, the federal troops brought death and terror to the streets of Minneapolis. Well, they picked the wrong city.”
He continued by praising the strength of the local community before addressing specific deaths tied to federal agents, invoking the names of Renee Good and Alex Pretti and criticizing the lack of investigation into their deaths by a “lawless government.”
Star-Studded Collaborations
Following his opening performance, Springsteen welcomed Joan Baez to the stage for a cover of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.” Tom Morello then joined Springsteen for renditions of The Clash’s “Clampdown” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”
The lineup of guest appearances continued as Dave Matthews and Nathaniel Rateliff stepped up for a cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son,” followed by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl joining in for a performance of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.”
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