Rage Against The Machine has never stayed silent about their political beliefs. Earlier this year, they signed an open letter that called for musicians to boycott Israel, and earlier this month, Tom Morello from the band signed a letter protesting the use of Amazon palm scanners at music venues. Now, the band is expressing outrage over the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict. 

The verdict was released on Friday, Nov. 19: 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of fatally shooting two protestors at a rally in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The rally occurred after Kenosha police shot and paralyzed a Black man named Jacob Blake. Rittenhouse faced five felony charges, but walked away free and is now being praised by gun rights activists. 

According to Consequence, Rage Against the Machine denounced Rittenhouse’s claim of self-defense via an Instagram statement: 

“Kyle Rittenhouse armed himself and killed people who were fighting for racial justice. He claimed self-defense. This is the settler logic of America’s founding myth: whiteness must cast itself as the victim in order to justify its violence against those resisting its oppression.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rage Against The Machine (@rageagainstthemachine)

Next year, the band will headline the Coachella festival. They will also embark on a North American tour that kicks off in El Paso in March and concludes with a series of shows in Madison Square Garden in August. 

Photo Credit: Marv Watson