Watch Minnesota Protestors Blast Prince's "Purple Rain" In Police Standoff
Though he may have never been seen with picket sign in-hand, Prince was a man that knew the power of protest. As Van Jones tearfully acknowledged, Prince was secretly funding the revolution behind closed doors, with millions donated to social initiatives over the years. Truth is, we may never know the full extent of his philanthropy or political activism, but if his rally in the wake of Freddie Gray's death can stand as any indication, Prince was not so quietly a force equal in musical and subversive prowess, and his music has always lent itself to the disparaged or politically disenfranchised.
"Controversy," "Partyup" and "Ronnie Talk To Russia" are just early examples. Later in his career we'd hearAround The World In A Day's"America" and the title-track ofSign O The Times, all seeped in consciousness rare for a musician or celebrity of his caliber/tier. Over the weekend, as Minnesota protestors shut down I-94 in the wake of Philando Castile's death and found themselves in a standoff with police forces pelting them with runner bullets and smoke grenades, they retaliated by blasting "Purple Rain" at the riot-ready force, proving the power of a purple ballad that might not have been intended for such heated moments, but obviously did the trick, nonetheless. And we imagine Prince would have wholeheartedly approved. Watch it all go down in the clip below.
Protesters respond to flashbangs rubber bullets & smoke grenades with #PurpleRain. The most MN ish ever.#i94closed pic.twitter.com/o4EAiTuMAv
Nick Espinosa (@CGoHome) July 10, 2016
