Tom Morello has announced a fundraiser gig with Rise Against in Minneapolis, to benefit “the families of those murdered by ICE”.
The soloist, activist and former Rage Against The Machine guitarist is due to bring his ‘Defend Minnesota!’ event to the US city tomorrow (Friday January 30).
- Read More: Tom Morello: “In the past, I’ve wanted to use music as a battering ram for social justice”
He has described it as “a concert of solidarity and resistance” amid ongoing protests against the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in particular, their killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
The show is set to take place at Minneapolis live music venue First Avenue, with doors opening at the early time of 10:30am. Tickets are priced at $25 – you can buy yours here now.
Morrello will headline the gig following slots from Rise Against, US guitarist Al Di Meola and American singer-songwriter Ike Reilly. There’ll also be a mystery “very special guest” performer.
Writing on social media, Morello said: “If it looks like fascism, sounds like fascism, acts like fascism, dresses like fascism, talks like fascism, kills like fascism and lies like fascism, boys & girls it’s f*cking fascism.
“It’s here, it’s now, it’s in my city, it’s in your city and it must be resisted, protested, defended against, stood up to, exposed, ousted, overthrown and driven out. By you and by me.”
He continued: “We are coming to Minneapolis where the people have heroically stood up against ICE, stood up against Trump, stood up against this terrible rising tide of state terror. Where the people have stood up for their neighbours and themselves, for democracy and justice. Ain’t nobody coming to save us except us and it’s now or never.”
Morello concluded: “100% of proceeds go to the families of those murdered by ICE in Minneapolis Renee Good and Alex Pretti.”
The ICE agent who shot Good has been placed on administrative leave, pending an investigation, as have the two agents involved in the fatal shooting of Pretti (via BBC News).
ICE has described its highly controversial actions in Minnesota as “the largest mass deportation operation in American history”. The deaths of Good and Pretti have triggered outrage and widespread protests across the US.
Morello, a longtime critic of the US president, recently hit out at the Trump administration for allegedly displaying a “Nazi mass murder slogan” at a news conference.
Over the summer, the musician shared a “Fuck ICE” playlist, and was one of the many figures from the entertainment world who attended the anti-ICE protests last year.
Elsewhere, Billie Eilish has urged her “fellow celebrities” to “speak up” against ICE’s actions. Her brother and collaborator, Finneas, called out conservatives’ hypocritical gun law arguments in their attempts to justify the fatal shooting of Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse.
Eilish criticised ICE earlier this month in the wake of an ICE agent in Minneapolis killing Renee Good.
Other artists and celebrities to have spoken out include Sabrina Carpenter, Green Day, Neil Young, Moby, Zara Larsson, musician and Stranger Things star Joe Keery, Spider-Man actor Yuri Lowenthal, Duran Duran, Dave Matthews and more.
Tom Morello will play a one-off headline show in London this summer as part of a wider European tour. He’ll also make an appearance at Download Festival 2026. Find any remaining tickets here.
