Bruce Springsteen Denounces ICE, Renee Good Song Dedication
- Bruce Springsteen made an unannounced appearance last night, January 17, at the Light of Day WinterFest in New Jersey, using his platform to condemn recent ICE raids in...
- Before performing the song, Springsteen spoke passionately about the current state of the nation.
- The Light of Day WinterFest raises money for Parkinson's disease research.
Bruce Springsteen Protests ICE Raids at New Jersey Benefit
Bruce Springsteen made an unannounced appearance last night, January 17, at the Light of Day WinterFest in New Jersey, using his platform to condemn recent ICE raids in Minnesota and honor Renee Good, the mother killed by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The performance,typical of springsteen’s surprise appearances at the annual non-profit event,took a serious turn as he dedicated his 1978 song “The Promised Land” to Good.
Before performing the song, Springsteen spoke passionately about the current state of the nation. “This next song is probably one of my greatest songs,” he said. “And I don’t want to be out of water tonight,but I wrote this song as an ode to American possibility: both to the stunning but flawed country that we are,and to the country that we could be. Now, right now, we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years, is being tested as it has never been in modern times. Those values and those ideals have never been as endangered as they are right now.”
He continued, emphasizing the importance of unity and action.
The Light of Day WinterFest raises money for Parkinson’s disease research. Springsteen frequently participates in the event, which was founded by his longtime friend and collaborator, Joe Grushecky.
More facts about the incident involving Renee Good can be found at the Associated Press.
Details of Springsteen’s performance are available at NJ.com.
Learn more about Bruce Springsteen at Pitchfork.