Rage Against The Machine Lead Political Protest

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE led their fans in protest after they were banned from playing at a U.S. political rally on Tuesday (02Sep08).

The outspoken rockers had planned to play an impromptu performance at the Ripple Effect rally, a left-wing gathering held to coincide with the Republican Party Convention (01-04Sep08) in St. Paul, Minnesota.

But when the band was informed they could not play because they arrived too late, they gathered fans and led a 200-strong crowd to march across the state capital lawn, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.

The crowd chanted the band's signature mantra, "F**k you, I won't do what you tell me!" as band members Zack de la Rocha and Tom Morello sang acapella versions of their hits Bulls On Parade and Killing In The Name.

Event organisers have slammed reports the band didn't arrive in time, blaming police for delaying the rockers.

Caitlin Burns, a stage and logistics manager, claimed: "A state patrolman held the band and wouldn't let them enter (backstage) until it was too late."