The wave of anti-racist protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd that has been taking place in the United States over the past week has mobilized a large number of people, including celebrities and artists, and metal and rock music have not been left out of this outrage that is sweeping the world.
Check out the posts below from various artists speaking out on the subject:
Code Orange supported the sale of Jesus Piece , with proceeds going to anti-violence, pro-youth, mental health organizations, etc. The piece says, “You cannot imprison revolutionaries. You cannot imprison the revolution.”
Phil Labonte of All That Remains questioned the protests in Canada, asking if they actually have police brutality there to protest as well. Users responded to the artist that they do, offering him news sources.
Todd La Torre of Queensryche wrote about President Donald Trump , "The guy who wanted to look like a tough guy his entire presidency spent the whole night sitting in a bunker ."
Krist Novoselic , former bassist of Nirvana , encouraged protesters to go home, rest, and "build their future." The musician also took the opportunity to point out the evils of social media controlled by large corporations and capitalism. Finally, he stressed that Black lives matter.
Mike Portnoy of Sons Of Apollo shared a video of a tense moment between police and protesters near the White House, commenting, “Time to rename it EDA, Divided States of America. Truly sad…”
David Coverdale of Whitesnake made several posts on the subject, among them, he wrote, “Hello, loved ones… I can’t talk about quiet things tonight… I’m sure you’ve seen or heard about the protests in the United States… dark, tragic days… I send love to you and yours, wherever you are, and wish you the best in all things.” Immediately below, the artist shared a notice about the curfew that the police are enforcing in several American cities.
Lzzy Hale and Arejay Hale of Halestorm also posted about the protests. Lzzy wrote, “Love is the only thing that minimizes hate. The time is now #change,” and on Instagram, she shared the #TheShowMustBeStopped movement, in which various record labels will dedicate Tuesday, June 2nd, to reconnecting with their community and working towards solutions for change and improvement in society in the face of racism.
Arejay, in turn, wrote on his Twitter, “No one wants violence but peaceful protests have been repeatedly ignored. Those who have been silenced again and again feel they have no choice. Peace and love are important but we need change now. #BlackLivesMatter”.
Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses lashed out on Twitter against the media and fake news , stating that they will strive to build a better future even without the power of the media.
Doug Aldrich of the Dead Daisies also chose Twitter to speak out, seemingly not wanting more demonstrations, but agreed with the idea that peaceful protests don't seem to be an option at the moment. He also condemns the police officers involved in the death of George Floyd, but thanks the Los Angeles police and firefighters who, according to him, keep the streets safe.
Alex Skolnick , from Testament , highlighted moments of peaceful protest and called for more demonstrations like this one.
Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine shared impactful videos of the protests, including footage of a police officer making a "white power" sign during a demonstration, which prompted the artist to comment "No kidding" about the clip.
Roger Waters obviously spoke out on the matter, writing, “White silence is violence! (…) The police and those who serve them prefer violence and burning the city down rather than acting correctly within the law…”
João Gordo , from Ratos do Porão , shared several images related to the protests and against fascism:
Pitty has spoken out regarding the pro-democracy acts that are taking place amidst the anti-racist demonstrations:
