Rage Against the Machine — DNC Protest Concert, Los Angeles 2000

On August 14, 2000, Rage Against the Machine performed a free concert outside the Democratic National Convention at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The show — attended by thousands — was part of a broader protest against both major political parties, and it ended with police firing rubber bullets and tear gas at the crowd. The confrontation became a defining image of the anti-globalisation protest movement and one of the most politically charged concerts in American rock history.

The concert was organised in collaboration with activist groups protesting the policies of the Clinton administration and the two-party system. Rage Against the Machine had by this point released three albums of increasingly confrontational political content, and their decision to play outside the convention rather than inside it was consistent with their stance against mainstream political institutions. Zack de la Rocha's vocals during the set were reportedly audible inside the convention centre. The band would break up later that year.

The Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena) at 1201 S Figueroa Street was hosting its first major political convention. The protest concert and subsequent police action drew international media coverage and raised questions about the right to protest near political events. The incident remains one of the most significant intersections of rock music and direct political action in the 21st century.