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Tue. August 15.2000 12:00 AM EDT |
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THE BATTLE OF LOS ANGELES' DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION |
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It's taken them only nine years, but Rage Against the Machine finally found themselves at the center of some genuine rage last night (August 14), as police broke up a group of protesters at the band's free concert outside the Democratic
"Had the police cooperated with the rally organizers, the night could have ended calmly and smoothly," the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement shortly afterward. "Instead, the police response tonight created huge risks. When people see batons raised, riot gear and mounted police clearing an area, a tense situation becomes a volatile one." On Monday, Rage played a nine-song set that included a rendition of the MC5's rabble-rousing anthem "Kick Out the Jams" in a "designated protest area" outside the Staples Center as police helicopters hovered overhead. An approving Wayne Kramer said, "It's good to see some artists trying to carry on what [the MC5] started, but the trouble with a lot of artists is that they don't want to get their hands dirty." Reports varied on what message the band was sending during its set. Chooseorlose.com reported that lead singer Zack de la Rocha did not speak, preferring to let the music do the talking. However, Launch.com's person on the scene said that de la Rocha led the crowd in a chant of "Free Mumia," referring to death row inmate Mumia Abu Jamal. "We're not doing this because we're against [Democratic candidate Al] Gore," guitarist Tom Morello explained to Gideon Yago of MTV's Choose or Lose initiative before the concert. "We're doing this to support the people who are left out of the electoral process. For them, it's not 'Choose or Lose'; it's 'Lose or Lose' ... It's no longer good enough to settle for the lesser of two evils. "Look at the last two elections: Less than 50 percent of the population voted. It's not that they don't care, it's that they don't feel they have a real choice." Earlier in the day, Morello said in a statement, "On the streets of Los Angeles today there will be a people's convention, and unlike the Democratic Convention across the way, there will be no 20 ft. barbwire fence separating the people of this city from the main event." According to chooseorlose.com the audience at the gig included supporters of Green Party candidate Ralph Nader and the Zapatistas, opponents of the death penalty and nuclear waste, anarchists and American Atheists, and even a few people in Star Trek uniforms. Among the placards were slogans reading, "Two Party System or One Corporate Party?" and "Save Music, Use Napster." A group of what Reuters described as "anarchists" started a fire during Rage's set, and police subsequently ordered the next band, Ozomatli, to shorten their set. Mounted police and cops armed with billy clubs began moving the crowd toward a narrow exit out of the protest zone. Reuters reported that several people fell down during the evacuation. "A dispersal order was given, which gave everybody 15 minutes to disperse," said LAPD Captain Steward Maislin. "We waited in five- and 10-minute intervals and it was actually beyond the 15-minute time limit and the crowd did not disperse." After approximately 40 protesters clothed in black began throwing rocks, concrete bricks, water bottles, and parking signs over the fence at the police, the 400-strong phalanx of cops reportedly replied with a barrage of rubber bullets, pepper spray, and projectile beanbags. While President Clinton addressed the Democratic delegates inside the convention center, surrounded by a 13-foot security fence, police spent more than an hour skirmishing with the unruly crowd, injuring some bystanders in the process, including a Los Angeles Times reporter. One concertgoer who was struck by several pellets said, "I was just backing away. It was supposed to be peaceful." Several of those leading the peaceful protest march that preceded the concert were also injured. Homeless advocate Ted Hayes was sent to California Hospital in stable condition after being struck with a beanbag. Carol Sobel, a lawyer for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, who had helped obtain the rally's permit, was hit by rubber bullets. A Loyola Law School professor was also injured. Police also reportedly charged members of the New York state Democratic delegation in an effort to get them out of the street and onto a sidewalk. The Los Angeles Times reported that the concert itself "passed without incident" and that the majority of the 7,000-strong crowd quickly left the area. However, the paper also reported that there was a very heavy police presence around the Staples Center, quoting LAPD Commander David Kalish as saying that the police intended to "saturate the area, maintain the peace, and ensure public safety." Shortly after a judge allowed the band to play its free concert without a permit, the police expressed concern that the event was too big for them to properly contain. A police spokesman said, "We're gravely concerned because of security reasons - just the large number of individuals that this will bring out." The LAPD came under fire after Lakers fans ran riot after the NBA finals at the Staples Center. Kalish told reporters after the battle between protesters and police that the LAPD found themselves in "almost a no-win situation. Some will view it as we waited too long, some will view it as moving too quickly." Rage Against the Machine have yet to issue a statement on the subsequent riot. But earlier in the day Morello told MTV, "People make history on their own, standing up for what they believe in. I'm not advocating not voting, but all progressive change doesn't come from above. A lot comes from the people outside the barbed wire fence." |
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RAGE AGAINST THE ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENTS, MAN |
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