"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."
"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."
"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."
Billy Bragg wrote, recorded, and released the song "City of Heroes" within 24 hours as an urgent call for resistance supporting Minneapolis residents confronting ICE. The lyrics invoke Martin Niemöller to connect historical silence with modern complicity and contrast past complacency with present-day direct action. The song depicts protestors facing tear gas and pepper spray while protecting their community. Bragg condemned the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good and criticized the lack of accountability for filmed daytime murders. The song serves as a tribute to Minneapolis bravery and as inspiration for broader resistance.
Read at Consequence
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]