Rage Against The Machine Calls Out Violence Toward Indigenous People in Canada

Photo credit: Marv Watson

Rage Against the Machine has once again taken a political stance during a live performance. The Los Angeles rock band displayed facts and calls to action on a display screen behind the stage during their June 15 concert at Bluesfest in Ottawa.

According to Consequence, one screen read, “An Indigenous person in Canada is over 10 times more likely to be shot and killed by a police officer than a white person is,” in reference to a CTV News investigation. Another screen read, “In Canada, Indigenous women and girls are 16 times more likely to be murdered or to disappear than white women are.” Shorter displays said, “Settler-colonialism is murder,” and “Land Back.”

Rage Against the Machine are no strangers to making a stance. Earlier this month, the band displayed messages in response to the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe V. Wade during a show at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin. One message read, “Forced birth in a country that is the only wealthy country in the world without any guaranteed paid parental leave at the national level.” Another message cited a statistic from the CDC: “Black birth-givers experience maternal mortality two to three times higher than that of white birth-givers.”

The band’s newest political display comes one week after frontman Zack de la Rocha injured his leg in the middle of their July 11 set in Chicago. The singer/songwriter has since been performing sitting down rather than canceling or postponing shows.