Rage Against The Machine – Democratic Convention 2000

Posted by admin on April 26th, 2010 and filed under democratic | 25 Comments »

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Rage Against the Machine (RATM) played a free concert in protest of the two-party system. The band had been considering playing a protest concert there since April of that year.In the months leading up to the convention, cable channel MTV began planning a large, free concert to take place in downtown Los Angeles as a part of its “Choose or Lose” campaign aimed at getting youth out to vote. MTV decided that popular rock group RATM would be the ideal marquee band. However, RATM’s aggressive political message combined with the title of its most recent album, The Battle of Los Angeles, caused serious concerns from LA city leaders. MTV’s applications for staging the concert were denied by the city and the channel eventually gave up its attempts to plan one. After MTV’s attempts failed, a number of protest groups agreed to give their one hour time allotments on the stage in the Protest Zone. RATM was offered prime time slots coinciding with the marquee speaker on the opening night of the convention, then-President Bill Clinton.

Although they were at first required by the City of Los Angeles to perform in a small venue at a considerable distance, early in August a United States district court judge ruled that the City’s request was too restrictive and the City subsequently allowed the protests and concert to be held at a site across from the DNC. The police response was to increase security measures, which included a 12′ fence and patrolling by a minimum of 2,000 officers wearing riot gear, as well as additional horses, motorcycles, squad cars and police helicopters. A police spokesperson said they were “gravely concerned because of security reasons”.

During the concert, RATM singer Zach de la Rocha said to the crowd, “brothers and sisters, our democracy has been hijacked,” and later also shouted “we have a right to oppose these motherfuckers!” After the performance, a small group of attendees congregated at the point in the protest area closest to the DNC, facing the police officers. Reports of what activity they engaged in vary, the most extreme being reports of throwing glass, concrete and water bottles filled with “noxious agents,” spraying ammonia on police and slingshotting rocks and steel balls. However, milder reports also arose, one only mentioning “tossing rocks.” The police soon after declared the gathering an unlawful assembly, shut off the electrical supply, interrupting performing band Ozomatli, and informed the protestors that they had 15 minutes to disperse on pain of arrest. Some of the protesters remained, however, including two young men who climbed the fence and waved black flags, who were subsequently shot in the face with pepper spray. Police then forcibly dispersed the crowd, using tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets. At least six people were arrested in the incident.

The police faced severe and broad criticism for their reaction, with an American Civil Liberties Union spokesperson saying that it was “nothing less than an orchestrated police riot.” Several primary witnesses reported unnecessarily violent actions and police abuses, including firing on reporters, lawyers and people obeying police commands. Protesters were trapped between police fronts, and some were beaten by police while trying to obey commands. At one point, four young men were repeatedly beaten by mounted police while trapped against a wall. Police responded that their response was “outstanding” and “clearly disciplined.”

Footage of the protest and ensuing violence, along with an MTV News report on the incident, was included in the Live at the Grand Olympic Auditorium DVD.

Duration : 0:32:18


[youtube 0g_MNpS9hM0]

25 Responses

  1. OperationThrash Says:

    THIS IS WHY PEOPLE …
    THIS IS WHY PEOPLE HAVE TO VOTE!!!!!!!!!!! VOTE VOTE VOTE!!!!!! Americans talked so much about bush, well guess what yes he was a dumb mother fucker, BUT THATS WHY YOU HAVE TO VOTE!!!!!!!!!!!!! —–TURN ONTO POLITICS, OR POLITICS WILL TURN ON YOU—— dont just say who cares or its not gonna change nothing, it will people. If we vote and speak up like this will be less likely to happen.

  2. rhcpkpkp15 Says:

    was bush bad? yes, …
    was bush bad? yes, he didnt do anything besides start a war over oil. is obama bad? yes, he just takes the money of the people and gives it away. and he shoves his legislation down our throats. and the best part about politics is that the common people place their whole hearted support into rich privileged businessmen. the politicians lie, the people know they lie, but they refuse to vote for someone besides the two partys

  3. SamDihe Says:

    Masculino 35-44

    Masculino 35-44
    Masculino 45-54
    Masculino 25-34

    the new generation is one fun toy of this society , american stupids governement :S .
    WAKE THE PEOPLE FOR THE REVOLUTION ! PEACE

    ps: zeitegest . com ; )

  4. SamDihe Says:

    9:33 , american …
    9:33 , american police solger shit

  5. JGxSEVEN Says:

    The cop at the end …
    The cop at the end really was a douche.

  6. BLibertarian Says:

    @robbertvg1


    @robbertvg1

    unfortunately you don’t understand anything about coin and the nature of credit

    you are not free, you are subject to the will of 51% of your country, and that majority uses your over-reaching and intrusive centralized apparatus as its tool to take away your God given right to keep your property/earnings

    one day you will realize our standard of living and innovative creative nature

  7. Zvernal Says:

    For anyone who has …
    For anyone who has lived in LA, they know that to have the Democratic National Convention at Staples, and a Rage Against the Machine basically across the street made downtown insane.

  8. arkmaxim Says:

    yeah yeah….but …
    yeah yeah….but nothing’s changed..how sad !!!

  9. cantecleer Says:

    @Hungerzoids — …
    @Hungerzoids — ain’t no power like the power of the ppl ‘cuz the power of the ppl don’t stop =P

  10. whitechocandy Says:

    This was …
    This was fuckin’ insane. Look at the crowd. Damn.

  11. Hungerzoids Says:

    sad little bunch of …
    sad little bunch of socialists

  12. boogadeeboyd Says:

    THANX FOR POSTING …
    THANX FOR POSTING THIS IN FULL :) :)

  13. Miskatakeable Says:

    The …
    The cop at the end of the video was a douche

  14. override83 Says:

    @usctroyboy I don’t …
    @usctroyboy I don’t think they specifically support any government.

    In fact, their lyrics are all about waking up and realizing we have a voice. Don’t be another sheep and follow government who don’t give a about us. Don’t be just another slave.
    And when the people unite and speak in one voice, then real change has a chance. That’s what i think Rage is all about.

  15. robbertvg1 Says:

    @ …
    @Blackblockanarchist Socialism is the way here in holland it work very wel. we have freedom for every one.

    America one day will become a beter country. i hope so for you

  16. scrispy12 Says:

    WOW they completely …
    WOW they completely took over LA

  17. livesouvenirs Says:

    FUCK THE POLICE AND …
    THE POLICE AND AUTHORITY!

  18. ijfowefjeoifj Says:

    OMG…I was at this …
    OMG…I was at this show…I was living in Downtown L.A. when they gave this free show…my roomate and I rand down there in a matter of 15 minutes…..pause frame 2:05 and thats me in the wife beater and backwards baseball hat…AWSOME!!

  19. Therealozzy47 Says:

    Freedom? Yea….. …
    Freedom? Yea…..right. Great video of Rage doing what they do best. We gotta take the power back.

  20. usctroyboy Says:

    @ …
    @Blackblockanarchist thanks bro and i agree with that one hundred percent

  21. Blackblockanarchist Says:

    RATM is based on …
    RATM is based on socialist ideas. Nether Obama or the republicans support this. both are controlled by firms and the lobbyists in Washington.
    Our democratic has been hijacked all over the wold by the Capitalists who cares more fore money than the people. the gunmen who sits in governments all over the wold corrupts the life of billions and refuses to hear the voice of the people. We need to united and tear down this hypocrite system.

  22. usctroyboy Says:

    i dont understand …
    i dont understand Rage’s phiosophy on government completely……i dont understand what kind of government they support…….can someone help me out……..i love their music though

  23. tatternuts27 Says:

    how dose spending …
    how dose spending government money lower the deficit?

  24. MrMadaicseason Says:

    read the facts …
    read the facts about the health bill, are their good things? yep. are their bad things? yep. It’s going to reduce are deficit that the bonehead in chief before us left obama by 1 trillion, and health insurance companies can’t discriminate against preexisting medical conditions…and the hmo ceo’s who finance the republican machine stand to lose their shirts….

  25. Music4Life891 Says:

    anarchy = 100% me
    anarchy = 100% me

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