Rage Against The Machine lead boycott against Arizona
There’s a growing call from musicians to boycott the state of Arizona due to their recent passing of an immigration law that allows local authorities to stop anyone they feel may be an illegal citizen. Leading the charge is none other than Rage Against The Machine.
Billboard reports that a website called thesoundstrike.net has been made so artists can join the campaign and refuse to play in Arizona until the state repeals the new law. Artists that have signed on include Serj Tankian, Conor Oberst, Tenacious D, Sonic Youth, Joe Satriani, Rise Against, Massive Attack, Kanye West and more.
“Fans of our music, our stories, our films and our words can be pulled over and harassed every day because they are brown or black, or for the way they speak, or for the music they listen to,” wrote RATM singer Zach De La Rocha on the website. “People who are poor like some of us used to be could be forced to live in a constant state of fear while just doing what they can to find work and survive. This law opens the door for them to be shaked down, or even worse, detained and deported while just trying to travel home from school, from home to work, or when they just roll out with their friends.
“When Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat, they arrested her. As a result, people got together and said we are not going to ride the bus until they change the law. It was this courageous action that sparked the Montgomery bus boycott. What if we got together, signed a collective letter saying, ‘we’re not going to ride the bus’, saying we are not going to comply. We are not going to play in Arizona.”
The website also has a place where you can sign a petition to repeal the law known as SB 1070.
Tags: Arizona, Conor Oberst, Joe Satriani, Kanye West, Massive Attack, Rage Against The Machine, Rise Against, Serj Tankian, Sonic Youth, Tenacious D, Zack De La Rocha
