Day 4 for us was Day 1 of the convention. In the streets, Prophets of Rage led the largest demonstration of the week as thousands rallied to protest Donald Trump's candidacy and to "End Poverty Now, March for Economic Justice." Anti-poverty activists and performers spoke from a stage in an empty lot on East 45th Street. The crowd continued to slowly build as word got out that Prophets of Rage, the new Super group formed by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, would perform a pop-up concert there. Public Enemy's Chuck D, who is part of the newly formed group, shouted "The party is over!" as the group started their set. Following the concert they marched with the crowd to Perk Plaza near the convention site. Morello said they were not there "to speak to Donald Trump but instead to provide wind in the sails of the anti-poverty movement."
On Tuesday and Wednesday we spent a lot of time in Public Square, where people on all sides of the issues shouted at each other and accomplished nothing. There were no highlights; it was disunity at its best. You can look at our raw footage and see for yourself what happened. That brings us back to tonight.
Tonight Donald will tell everyone that he is our voice. Most of us know who he is really talking to. Let's add it up: Birthers, he speaks for them, all right. Anti-Muslim groups, he speaks for them. People who don't like Mexicans, he speaks for them. Racists like David Duke ... Trump is okay with David Duke when the South is voting like he was days before super Tuesday, but not okay with them when it hurts his campaign. Still, he speaks for them. The 1% of which he is a member, he speaks for them. Let's be clear, Donald Trump is the establishment. They are uneasy with him because they don't control him, but they know he is one of them.
I have higher hopes for the streets of Philadelphia and the events around the Democratic Convention. There will be a unifier there who really is my voice. And I am trying hard to be his voice. On to the next phase of the political revolution.
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