Following his absence at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction of Rage Against the Machine, Zack De La Rocha returned to the public eye at the march supporting Palestine.
Tom Morello was the only Rage Against the Machine band member present at their induction into the Roll Hall ceremony, which took place on Friday, November 3, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Morello’s attendance there alone attracted media attention.
De La Rocha’s Presence At The Palestine March
While Morello accepted the award for the band, the singer was seen at a Washington, D.C., protest for Palestine the following day. He joined the crowds demanding a ceasefire in Gaza. A well-known videographer, hate5six, shared a photo with de la Rocha at the protest and wrote:
“300,000 of us marched on D.C. today in support of Palestinian self-determination and called for an end to Israel’s genocide. Cell service tanked the live stream, but I ran into Zack de la Rocha, who came out for the march.”
He continued, disclosing parts of his talk with the RATM vocalist:
“We talked for a while about how this is a tipping point in history. People are waking up to how interconnected the fight for liberation is, from Ferguson to Gaza.”
A Reddit user also posted the same picture and said:
“In true Zack De La Rocha fashion, he skips out on the Hall of Fame induction but joins the march on Washington for Palestine.”
Morello’s Speech At The Induction Ceremony
So, the fact that Zack chose to attend the protest instead of the Rock Hall induction ceremony might give a different context to the things Morello said during his speech at the ceremony. The musician noted:
“I am deeply grateful for the musical chemistry I’ve had the good fortune to share with Brad Wilk, Tim Commerford, and Zach De La Rocha. Like most bands, we have differing perspectives on a lot of things, including about being inducted into the Rock Hall. The reason we are here and the best way to celebrate this music is for you to carry on that mission and that message. The lesson I’ve learned from Rage fans is that music can change the world daily.”
Rage Against the Machine was nominated five times for the Rock Hall before they finally got in this year. In a statement on Instagram, the band said they were surprised they were chosen because of their strong focus on activism and fighting injustice. They talked about their tough times in the past and said it was special to be accepted into the Rock Hall. They thanked their supporters, activists, and the Hall of Fame for recognizing their work and music.
Below, you can see the tweet and watch Morello’s speech.
300,000 of us marched on DC today in support of Palestinian self-determination and called for an end to Israel's genocide. Cell service tanked the livestream but I ran into Zack de la Rocha who came out for the march. pic.twitter.com/uj8Pi8buig
— hate5six (@hate5six) November 5, 2023
