Rage Against the Machine Lead Arizona Boycott

Rap-rock crew invite musicians to skip Arizona on concert tours until the state's controversial new immigration law is repealed

Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha: "If other states follow the direction of Arizona, we could be headed towards a pre-Civil Rights era reality." (photo by Flickr user Scott Penner)

Hot on the heels of Shakira, Rage Against the Machine are leading a fresh charge against Arizona's controversial new immigration law. Artists including Kanye West, Sonic Youth and Massive Attack have all pledged a musical boycott of the US state, refusing to tour there until the "odious" bill is repealed.

Rage frontman Zack de la Rocha is seizing the megaphone for Sound Strike, a new organisation for which "Arizona is [the] picket line". Their target is bill SB1070, which passed the Arizona state legislature last month. Signed into law by governor Jan Brewer, the bill compels police officers to challenge anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant to prove their immigration status. Those without documentation will be arrested as criminals.

"Fans of our music, our stories, our films and our words can be pulled over and harassed every day because they are brown or black, or for the way they speak, or for the music they listen to," de la Rocha wrote in an open letter. "This law opens the door for them to be shaked down [sic], or even worse, detained and deported while just trying to travel home from school, from home to work, or when they just roll out with their friends."

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At least Rage Against the Machine is doing something. The Obama Justice Department continues to twiddle its thumbs. Tom

Update: The Obama Justice Department is poised to challenge the law. How long will they remain poised before acting?