2,000 Minnesotans Sing to ICE Agents in Minneapolis Streets

Last week, a remarkable scene unfolded in Minneapolis: 2,000 people bundled against the freezing cold, standing outside a hotel where Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were staying. Instead of shouting, they sang.

"It's okay to change your mind / Show us your courage / Leave this behind," their voices rose in unison. They held heart-shaped signs and played tambourines, offering agents a chance to walk away from their work.

The simple song was written by Annie Schlaefer, a Minnesota musician who has been leading community singing circles for 13 years. She created "It's Okay to Change Your Mind" specifically for activist group Singing Resistance, never imagining it would spread so quickly.

Schlaefer posts her protest songs free on Patreon so anyone can learn them. "Songs will be fairly simple and fairly easy to teach and learn," she wrote, making resistance accessible to everyone.

The song's inspiration comes from a powerful moment in history. In 2000, Serbian protesters overthrew dictator Slobodan Milošević using a similar strategy of compassion.

After being beaten by police, activists would show up at police stations chanting, "You may not join us today, but you can join us tomorrow." When Milošević finally ordered police to fire on hundreds of thousands of protesters marching on Belgrade, they refused.

Now Minneapolis organizers are using that same approach. "When they come at us with violence, we fight back with love," Singing Resistance shared on social media.

The Ripple Effect

The viral video has sparked a movement. Virtual and in-person singing circles are popping up nationwide, with Interfaith Alliance teaching the songs to faith groups across America.

Singing Resistance has created a full songbook with dozens of simple tunes divided into categories like "songs to encourage defections" and "walking vigils." Organizers are now planning a nationwide day of action.

"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," the group explains in their toolkit. In moments when fear tells us to get small and numb out, they're choosing to mobilize, feel, and tell the truth through music.

What started as one woman's melody in frozen Minneapolis streets has become a chorus thousands strong.