Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Rage Against the Machine have pledged $475,000 to abortion rights.
The band announced the donation in a June 24th statement. “We are disgusted by the repeal of Roe v. Wade and the devastating impact it will have on tens of millions of people,” they said. “Over half of the country (26 states) is likely to ban or seriously restrict abortion very soon, if not immediately, which will have a disproportionate impact on poor, working class and undocumented BIPOC communities.”
Rage continued, “To date, our fans have raised $475,000 from the sale of our charity tickets at Alpine Valley and the United Center. We are donating that money to reproductive rights organizations in Wisconsin and Illinois.” The charity shows — a July 9th date at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, Wisconsin and two nights at Chicago’s United Center on July 11th and 12 — mark the beginning of their long-awaited reunion tour. The run of shows, dubbed the “Public Service Announcement tour,” features support from Run the Jewels. Grab remaining tickets via Ticketmaster.
Rage Against the Machine previously announced their support for reproductive justice in May, when the Supreme Court’s plans to overturn Roe were first leaked. At the time, they promised to “continue to fight against any attempts to restrict or control reproductive freedoms.” Now that abortion is officially no longer protected by the constitution, numerous other artists have expressed similar support for reproductive justice. If you’re also disgusted by the news, we rounded up a list of ways to take action.