“The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock n’ roll in dangerous times,” Springsteen said at the beginning of a concert in Manchester, northern England, last Wednesday. “In my home, the America I love — the America I’ve written about that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years — is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” he said.

“Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American spirit to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism,” added Springsteen. The rock star spoke out several times during the show, later posting clips of his comments to his Instagram account. “The last check on power, after the checks and balances of government have failed, are the people — you and me. It’s in the union of people around a common set of values. Now that’s all that stands between democracy and authoritarianism. So at the end of the day, all we’ve really got is each other,” he continued. He later criticized some of the US administration’s most recent policies.

“In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now,” he said. “In my country, they are taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers, they’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society,” he said. “They’re abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom. They’re defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands. They’re removing residents off American streets, and without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now,” added Springsteen. The singer also criticized US lawmakers for failing to protect the American people from what he called “an unfit president and a rogue government,” and having “no concern or idea of what it means to be deeply American.” (CNN/ Getty Images)