Having already thrown up many a middle finger at America’s long history of systemic oppression, Rage Against the Machine are proving that true rage doesn’t need a passport, exploring Canada’s past and present violence towards indigenous peoples at a June 15th concert at Bluesfest in Ottawa.
As RATM had previously done beginning with the the kick off to their reunion tour, the band displayed facts and calls to action on a display screen behind the stage. “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,” one screen read, in reference to a CTV News investigation.
“In Canada, Indigenous women and girls are 16 times more likely to be murdered or to disappear than white women are,” another text displayed. At other times, the screen showed, “Settler-colonialism is murder,” and “Land Back.” Check out images from the concert below.
Last week, frontman Zack de la Rocha injured his leg four songs into the July 11th concert in Chicago. Rather than cancelling or postponing, he has been performing sitting down, which. In our review of Rage Against the Machine’s Chicago concert, Allen Halas wrote, “While they should have been hindered due to the lack of a mobile frontman, Rage Against the Machine gave fans everything they could have wanted and more .” Get tickets to upcoming shows here.
— Eli D. M. (@eli_d_m) July 16, 2022