Bruce Springsteen to perform at No Kings rally on March 28 in St. Paul
Streets of Minneapolis packed with 'No Kings' protests
"No Kings" rallies happened across Minnesota Saturday. FOX 9's Leon Purvis has more.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Bruce Springsteen has been added to a star-studded lineup, joining major political figures, for the No Kings rally at the Minnesota State Capitol on Saturday, March 28.
No Kings marches, rally planned across St. Paul
What we know:
Organizers say the event kicks off at noon with marches from three Saint Paul locations — Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul College and Western Sculpture Park— before converging at the Capitol for a main stage rally at 2 p.m.
Bruce Springsteen will sing "Streets of Minneapolis" as part of the Capitol program, joining a roster that includes U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison, Jane Fonda, Joan Baez, Maggie Rogers and other advocates and performers.
The rally at the State Capitol is expected to draw participants from across Minnesota and the nation, with organizers highlighting the event’s nonviolent principles and a strict policy banning weapons of any kind. The event is part of a nationwide movement.
‘Streets of Minneapolis’ protest song
The backstory:
Set to the tune of Springsteen’s 1993 hit, "Streets of Philadelphia," the song establishes the tone with the opening line, "Through the winter’s ice and cold, down Nicollet Avenue."
The lyrics then invoke images that have become familiar to Twin Cities residents in recent weeks, such as "smoke and rubber bullets."
The song also criticizes federal agents, referring to them as "King Trump’s private army from the DHS."
Springsteen sang about the deaths of two Minnesotans at the hands of federal agents, saying, "Citizens stood for justice, their voices ringing through the night, and there were bloody footprints where mercy should have stood, and two dead left to die on snow-filled streets, Alex Pretti and Renee Good."
What is No Kings?
Why you should care:
The No Kings rally in St. Paul is the national flagship event, one of more than 3,000 protests planned around the country in opposition to what organizers call the Trump administration’s authoritarianism and corruption. Organizers say the movement has grown rapidly, citing more than five million participants at last June’s events and over seven million at rallies last October.
The Twin Cities event is expected to be the largest in the series so far, building on a history of mass participation and civic engagement.
Speakers and performers to watch for
The nominees:
- Joan Baez, singer and activist
- Minister JaNaé Bates, ISAIAH, and multifaith leaders
- Nick Benson, flight data activist, MN50501
- Katie Bethell, MoveOn Civic Action
- State Representative Shelley Buck
- Malika Dahir, Reviving the Islamic Sisterhood for Empowerment
- Natalie Ehret, Haven Watch
- Attorney General Keith Ellison
- Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan
- Jane Fonda, actor and activist
- Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, Indivisible
- Saint Paul Mayor Kaohly Her
- Imam Makram El-Amin
- Deepender Singh Mayell, MN-ACLU
- Carolina Ortiz, COPAL
- Sarah Parker, Voices of Florida Project and 50501
- Maggie Rogers, singer-songwriter and activist
- U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders
- AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler
- Bruce Springsteen, musician and activist
- SEIU President April Verrett
- American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten
- Robert Weissman, Public Citizen
- Emcee Ash Woodard-Henderson
The event will also feature local performers, community leaders and organizations, with more speakers to be announced.
Local perspective:
St. Paul is hosting the national flagship event, drawing attention from across the country and highlighting Minnesota’s role in the growing No Kings movement. Organizers encourage all participants to act lawfully and seek to de-escalate any confrontation, emphasizing the event’s commitment to nonviolent action.
What we don't know:
Organizers have not yet released the full list of speakers or the detailed program for the main stage rally. Additional security measures and crowd estimates for this year’s event have not been confirmed.
The Source: Information from a press release by No Kings Twin Cities.