Major Controversies and Incidents:

• SNL Flag Incident (1996): During their performance on Saturday Night Live, the band hung upside-down American flags on their amplifiers, a protest against host Steve Forbes. The flags were removed by SNL staff just before the live show.

• Sleep Now in the Fire Video Shoot (2000): Directed by Michael Moore, the band attempted to storm the New York Stock Exchange. The performance drew massive crowds, leading to closed doors, police intervention, and the band being escorted from the site.

• DNC Protest Concert (2000): The band performed a free concert across from the 2000 Democratic National Convention to protest the two-party system, which was subsequently declared an "unlawful assembly" by the Los Angeles Police Department.

• Controversy Over Success: Critics and some fans have accused the band of hypocrisy, arguing that they are millionaires signed to a major label (Sony) while advocating against capitalism.

• Ticket Pricing Backlash (2020): The band faced criticism regarding high ticket prices for their reunion tour, which Tom Morello defended by blaming "scalpers" and stating they aimed to block 85% of them, with proceeds going to charity.

• Political Misinterpretation: Despite their staunchly left-wing, anti-racist, and anti-white supremacist views, their music has sometimes been adopted by individuals with right-wing, pro-authoritarian views, a paradox frequently addressed by the band. 

Rage Against The Machine officially announced they will not be touring or playing live again as of early 2024. A fucking shame, in hindsight, as the storm of recent comments under their video linked here show that a lot of people under duress of the current political climate (in the western hemisphere) have adopted this track as an anthem once again…