On Monday, a video of bundled-up Minnesotans carrying protest signs and walking slowly through the streets of downtown Minneapolis began to circulate online.
But it was different from previous protest videos, of which there are countless, as Minnesotans mobilize to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in spades.
In this video, they are singing in unison.
“It’s okay to change your mind / Show us your courage / Leave this behind,” they croon.
“It’s okay to change your mind / And you can join us / Join us here anytime.”
The group, consisting of at least 2,000 people, sang to ICE agents inside a Residence Inn, with what they said was one message: “Quit your job.”
“Under federal occupation, Minneapolis has been going through immense pain, rage, and grief. But when they come at us with violence, we fight back with love,” organizers shared on social media.
“We still have space in our hearts for ICE agents who are willing to walk away from the path of violence and take accountability for harm they’ve caused. We paid ICE agents a visit today to call them home.”
This is not the first song-fueled protest the group has conducted.
They call themselves Singing Resistance, and according to social media, they were inspired by “Otpor!,” a Serbian civil resistance movement that overthrew a dictatorship in 2000.
“Otpor! members were regularly arrested and beaten by police, after which, they would show up to police stations and officers’ houses chanting, ‘You may not join us today, but you can join us tomorrow,’” Singing Resistance shared.
“In the final hours of their revolution, hundreds of thousands of people from across Serbia marched on Belgrade. Milosevic ordered the police and military to fire on massive crowds of protestors, and they refused. They were done being on the wrong side of history.”
This effort to breed defection among ICE agents is just one component of the group’s efforts.
Prior to ICE’s occupation of Minnesota, many organizers were part of a coalition of “Ceasefire Choirs” calling for peace in Palestine.
Now, they are also calling on Marriott hotels to stop housing the federal agents, and they have performed protest concerts outside of Enterprise, encouraging the car rental company to break ties with border patrol agencies.
Other singing opportunities in Minnesota have taken place inside churches and at vigils for Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Sometimes they sing in neighborhoods to lift the spirits of those afraid to leave home.
According to CNN, the Twin Cities chapter of Singing Resistance — which is a larger nationwide movement — began its street-level performances four days after Good was killed. In less than a week, 600 people came out to sing with them.
“I am not afraid / I am not afraid / I will live for liberation / ‘cause I know why I was made,” one anonymous organizer sang to Anderson Cooper in a CNN broadcast, adding that the group has been singing it in English and Spanish.
“Song is a vehicle for us to grieve. It’s a vehicle for us to feel rage. It’s a vehicle for us to strengthen ourselves,” she added. “That song, ‘I Am Not Afraid,’ that I sang, we’re not singing it because we’re actually not afraid … it is terrifying, what is happening. It’s a way to gather our courage.”
With an outpouring of support in Minnesota — and in other cities nationwide — Singing Resistance has released a free digital songbook for other people across the country to sing along.
They will also be holding virtual trainings to help people organize their own coalition of resistance singers.
“Are you ready to build a mass movement with us across the U.S. in song?” the group shared on social media. “Gather your friends, family, and foes (!!) and warm up those vocal cords. May we bring the masses out into the streets in song and solidarity.”
The group also shared a robust toolkit, describing the history and inspiration behind Singing Resistance, and equipping supporters with tools to prioritize safety, prepare for protests, and spread awareness on social media.
“Singing Resistance is building a mass movement of singers to protect and care for our communities in the face of rising authoritarianism,” the toolkit proclaims.
“We are grounded in love, nonviolence, and solidarity. In the context of intense and escalating violence towards our communities and federal invasions of our cities and towns, we sing because song is an antidote to fear, song helps us connect to each other, and through song we can name and protect what we hold sacred.”
If their welcoming beckon to ICE agents wasn’t clear enough: The group seems rooted entirely in love and acceptance — not hate or contempt. While anger is present in their songs, the driving force behind each tune is love.
“Through song, we can refuse to obey what authoritarianism wants us to do — get small, numb out, and forget. Instead, we will mobilize our communities in public, we will feel, and we will tell the truth of the violence and of the resistance,” the toolkit stated.
“Through our actions we seek to embody and represent that which we are fighting for: beloved communities of strong ties, coming together in defense of life, where all are loved and cared for.”
You may also like: 'Melt the ICE' hats are so popular among knitters, shops are selling out of red yarn nationwide
Header image by Lorie Shaull (CC BY 4.0)
