Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine joins the No Kings protests
The No Kings protests saw thousands in turnout nationwide. Amidst the crowd is Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello. Perhaps it would be a bigger irony if no punk rock bands attended this event, designed to oppose President Donald Trump.
In Minneapolis, Morello opened his show with a rebuke against Trump’s fascism.“If it looks like fascism, sounds like fascism, dresses like fascism, talks like fascism, kills like fascism, and lies like fascism? Brothers and sisters, it’s fucking fascism,” Morello said. The crowds in the pits agreed.
“It’s here, it’s now. It’s in my city, it’s in your city, and it must be resisted, protested, defended against, stood up to, exposed, ousted, overthrown, and driven out. By who? By you, and by me.” He gestured to the crowd.
“Minneapolis is an inspiration to the entire nation. You’ve heroically stood up against ICE, stood up against Trump, stood up against this terrible, rising tide of state terror. You’ve stood up for your neighbors, for yourselves, for democracy, and for justice,” Morello continued. He praised the earlier citizen-led protests against ICE. Two Americans died in the hands of agents, which only fueled further protests against the agency.
ICE has been pulling out of Minneapolis after weeks of citizen protests. Although there are still agents, there has been significant pressure for the Trump administration to lessen the force in Minneapolis.
Morello continued with his set, playing the band’s hit song, ‘Killing in the Name.’ No other song could be more fitting for the moment, when government repression and state-sanctioned violence against Americans have become mainstream. Released in 1992, the song protests white supremacy, police brutality, and fascism.
Celebrities use their platforms to oppose Trump
But Tom Morello is known for his consistency in rebuking all things fascist. Other celebrities and some politicians have also tuned into the protests to say ‘No Kings.’
Other musicians turned up as well, including Amy Lee from Evanescence. Bon Jovi was photographed with a sign that said ‘No Kings, No Tyrants, No Syncophants, No Trump’ with an orange fruit at the bottom.
Bruce Springsteen also performed for the crowd in St. Paul, Minnesota. Other celebrities and some politicians have also tuned into the protests to say ‘No Kings.’
Robert DeNiro also turned up and sent a message. “I start every morning depressed about the latest outrage from our would-be king. I mean, it’s amazing—every fucking day there’s something new and crazy, but it’s different on this day,” DeNiro said. He continued, “Millions of us are coming together to declare: no kings.”
Jimmy Kimmel was spotted on multiple occasions, with Sen. Chris Murphy taking a photo with the late-night comedian. Kimmel himself was a target of censorship by Trump’s FCC chair, Brendan Carr.
The crowd turnout matters most
From the East to the West Coast, packed crowds of people were captured and documented. In Ocean Beach, San Francisco, a crowd formed a human tableau that read, “Trump must go now! No ICE, no wars, no lies, no kings.”
In Nashville, Tennessee, protesters turned up in costumes worn by handmaidens from The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. In New York City, all five boroughs were packed with protesters—and the NYPD made no protest-related arrests.
The protests aren’t a success because of the celebrities who showed up. Droves of ordinary citizens, who care about democracy, turned out by the thousands to protest against Trump. Before the sitting president worries about regime change on the other side of the world, he should worry about being regime-changed himself.
(featured image: Medios y Media/Getty Images)
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