Latest news with #DropkickMurphys
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dropkick Murphys and Veterans Rally Against Trump for ‘Disrespecting the Vets'
'Music is sometimes a good way to kick the front door open,' says Ken Casey, the co-lead singer and bassist for the Celtic punk band Dropkick Murphys. On Friday, the 81st anniversary of D-Day, Casey and his band took to the stage on the National Mall, the headline act as several politicians and activists rallied thousands of veterans in a march on Washington D.C. Ostensibly, the rally — organized by an array of veterans groups and backed by labor unions, such as the AFL-CIO — was a non-partisan protest against proposed cuts to veterans benefits and to the federal workforce, including at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In reality, it was an expression of rage against President Donald Trump and his MAGA agenda. 'I think there's a lot of people in America that think this is a fight between the far right and the far left. And it's not,' Casey tells Rolling Stone. It is impossible to make substantial cuts to the government without disproportionately impacting veterans, who make up nearly 25 percent of the federal workforce, but only five percent of employed Americans as a whole. The VA alone is facing losses of nearly 83,000 jobs, as proposed by the department's secretary, Doug Collins — about 18 percent of its total workforce. 'When we join the military, we take an oath to this country. And they, in turn, promise certain benefits if we serve,' says Everett Kelley, the national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, or AFGE, which represents about 750,000 government workers across the country. 'If you start attacking those workers that provide the services to the veteran then you are attacking, indirectly, the veteran.' Kelley says his members are keenly watching as lawsuits contesting job cuts make their way through the courts: 'They're saying that they want us to continue to stay in this fight. They are very relieved that the courts are seeing that these decisions are not rational, and that they are not in accordance with our Constitution.' 'We are winning some of these battles, but that's not where we want to be. We want to be winning the war,' he says. As the rally warmed up, Rolling Stone caught up with Casey. 'The facts are that the Trump presidency and all those involved are disrespecting the vets. And that's my opinion. And we're going to sing about it,' Casey tells Rolling Stone. His gentle voice purrs with an unmistakable Boston accent as he sits on a shady bench in the sweltering heat. 'We all know what's caused us to be here.' 'People are slowly waking up to it. I do think that the Trump plan of just throwing so much shit at the wall does work. It makes people just want to put their head in the sand,' he says. A young woman nearby, who this reporter later learns also hails from Boston but encountered the protest by accident, curiously eyes the 56-year-old punk rocker — with his old-school sailor tats, dapper black outfit, and neatly trimmed crewcut — and his interlocutor. She strains to listen in without being rude — it's not every day a founding member of one of your hometown's iconic bands plops down beside you to talk politics with a reporter, after all. 'I think that that's part of what keeps the moderates away, and part of it is that 'It's not affecting me personally right now,' and that's why that famous old statement from, I forget who said it: 'First they came for the trade unionists, and then they came for me,'' Casey says, summarizing a confessional-turned-poem by Martin Niemöller, a Lutheran pastor imprisoned by the Nazis, of which there are many versions. It's not the first time on this day that Rolling Stone hears a direct reference to the Nazis, or the rise of totalitarian political ideologies in the 1920s and 30s — fascism on the right, and communism on the left. The organizers of the rally, a recently established non-profit called the Unite for Veterans Coalition, likens their movement to the 'Bonus Army' of 1932 — a group of World War I veterans who took to the streets amid the Great Depression to get cash payments that had been promised to them — and talk admiringly about Maj. Gen. Smedley Butler, a legendary U.S. Marine who was instrumental in crushing a clumsy fascist coup attempt against President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. Here, now, in Washington D.C. on the anniversary of Operation Overlord, many veterans consciously sought to evoke that past — summoning the days when America had offered the lives of its citizenry to defeat a dictator. 'Dad Fought Fascism in Europe,' one man's sign says. 'We Will Fight it Here.' A woman holds another: 'My Grandpa Fought Nazis.' Two men carry flags with three downward pointing arrows, one saying 'American Iron Front' on it. This reporter asks Kris, the Navy veteran holding it, what the flag represents. He says that he is part of a local anti-fascist chapter, formed during the first Trump administration. He is aware that the Iron Front was a political paramilitary that fought the Nazis, among other forms of totalitarianism: The three downward pointing arrows are generally considered to represent opposition to Nazism, Communism, and Monarchism. One of the lessons of that era is that political extremism, fueled by proliferating violence and a masculinity crisis among young men, can create the conditions for the failure of a democracy. It forms part of the rationale for why the veterans who organized the rally say they are focused on cultivating a non-partisan, moderate movement. The fight to claim the political allegiance of veterans is, after all, a proxy battle in the war for the future of the American Republic — and both sides get a vote when it comes to war. Veterans largely voted in favor of Trump during the 2024 election, perhaps 60 percent to 40 percent. While Trump and his supporters may be ceding some of that ground by cutting veterans benefits, others are waiting to build movements around the political legitimacy supposedly conferred by veteran status. Far-right extremists have been omnipresent throughout modern American history, and veterans are a natural target for cultivation by ideologues. Right-wing paramilitary groups like the Three Percenters are explicitly aimed at veterans and law enforcement, while groups like the Proud Boys or Patriot Front adopt the language, dress, and symbolism of the War on Terror-era military. What is common to all of them is the implied threat of violence against dissent, and a willingness to take to the streets. Political violence is nothing new, and a number of the veterans who spoke to Rolling Stone fear that civil unrest will be used as a pretext for a government crackdown on liberties, perhaps even used in an attempt to justify martial law. Other vets were at the rally to protest job cuts inflicted by Trump and Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency. A thirtysomething former Marine mortarman who asked to be identified only as Andrew says that he lost his job at the Veterans Administration due to the DOGE cuts. He traveled from Michigan to show up at the protest. 'I wasn't really political before,' Andrew says. 'Like, everyone knows when you're the one liberal in an infantry battalion, but back then I didn't give politics much thought.' 'Now, I'm fucking furious. I'll show up for anything,' he says. Damian Bonvouloir graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1978, and served in the Navy until 1986. He describes generations of family that had served in the military or in federal jobs, proudly counting them on his fingers as he shouts their relationship and role, while the Dropkick Murphys take to the stage. Bonvouloir carries a sign with a shamrock and the words: 'Who'll stand with us?' That is a reference to 'Who Will Stand with Us,' a new single which in the band's promotional material is described as 'an urgent call to action to stand up against division and inequality.' 'So here we are on D-Day today, and it's like everything that so many of our grandparents fought for — you're willing to just walk away from that, because you feel like the world's too 'woke?' What? How did you do the math there? Like, what do you care if someone else wants to be woke?' Casey says. 'Was it really worth it to surrender the democracy of the country, just so you could feel a little more like you had your guy win? It just doesn't add up.' Casey tries to put his money where his mouth is. Last month, he traveled to Ukraine as part of a mission to deliver desperately needed ambulances and medical aid. He sees the conflict there as part of the same fight that brought the veterans to the National Mall. 'People over there are defending democracy, and people over here are defending democracy,' he tells Rolling Stone. The Dropkick Murphys new album, For the People, comes out on July 4 on the band's own label. There's a lot of energy and anger, and much of it is clearly political. But Casey is hesitant to describe it as a protest album: 'Not every song is directly in relation to what's going on. But I think even when you're writing music that doesn't directly relate, the times shape that music.' 'There's a song on that album about the day my father died when I was a kid, that I never thought I'd write,' he says. 'And I'm just saying… maybe you get to the point where you don't take for granted that you'll be making music in the future, and maybe the times just make you feel an urgency for everything in your life.' At the rally, one of the biggest responses from the crowd was for a punk cover of the bluegrass song 'Dig a Hole in the Meadow,' an anti-fascist anthem from 1927, popularized by Woody Guthrie and others: 'Dig a hole, dig a hole in the meadow. Dig a hole in the cold, cold ground. Dig a hole, dig a hole in the meadow. We're gonna lay you fascists down.' Clearly a band whose eleventh album was titled This Machine Still Kills Fascists, is unapologetic about both its politics and its embrace of America's early anti-fascist traditions. 'I just feel when people say now, like, 'Shut up and sing!' — whatever. I feel OK. We've been going for 30 years with the same message,' Casey says. 'Listen, if you're a punk band and you can't write good angry music in these times… Then something ain't working, you know what I mean?' More from Rolling Stone 'We Are Taking Away Elon's Friends' Trump Finally Brings Back Illegally Deported Man - to Indict Him Trump Says He's 'Totally' Focused on Policy ... While Calling Reporters to Bash Musk Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'You Deserve Better': Veterans Rally on National Mall Against Trump Cuts
Thousands of veterans gathered and raised their fists to the rhythm of the punk rock band Dropkick Murphys on Washington, D.C.'s National Mall on Friday, rallying against the Trump administration's federal job cuts and the potential loss of government services. Many attendees of the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally carried signs, including some that read "I Stand With Vets;" "Respect, Honor, Pay, Veterans;" and "VA Support Isn't a Gift, It's a Debt." The protest rally, part of the growing public concern over the administration's plans to dramatically reshape the federal government, also coincided with the 81st anniversary of D-Day. Since President Donald Trump took office, layoffs from government jobs have affected veterans who make up a large percentage of the federal workforce, with some congressional estimates that around 6,000 former service members have lost their livelihoods. An internal memo obtained by in March showed that more than 80,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees could be fired, which advocates say would harm important services. Read Next: White House Asked Joint Chiefs Chairman for Candidates to Lead NASA, Worrying Experts Lead singer of the Dropkick Murphys Ken Casey said it in his own way, telling the veterans in the crowd that he supported them before tearing into newly released music. Veterans in attendance associated the band with their service during the Global War on Terror. "We have always stood with the vets, and the vets have always stood with the Dropkick Murphys," Casey said. "When sh-- ain't right, we're going to speak up. That's what it's all about and guess what? Sh-- ain't right!" Former Army Sgt. Will Attig, who recalls being an 18-year-old riding in a Humvee and listening to Dropkick Murphys music during his deployment to Iraq, said it was a surreal moment to be standing on a stage next to Casey. "There's a connection with music," said Attig, who was one of the organizers of the event. "Music is a part of the veterans community. ... Music is one of the ways we fight back." The protest brought together veterans advocacy groups and service members from different generations like Randall Goldberg, a former Army soldier who said he left the service in 1970 and is angered by the Trump administration's actions when it comes to veterans. "There has to be resistance to those folks," Goldberg said of the loss of federal jobs and projected cuts. "It's nuts; it's nothing fair." In addition to numerous generations of veterans in attendance, vocal veterans in Congress also spoke and made appearances at the event. Sen. Ruben Gallego, an Arizona Democrat and a Marine Corps veteran, told in an interview on the National Mall that the potential cuts to the Department of Veterans Affairs have pushed many former service members to speak out. "We just tend to suck it up, right?" Gallego said of the veteran community. "I think this has pushed a lot of veterans to an existential moment, because we've never seen something like this." Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel who was wounded in combat, rallied the crowd as one of the scheduled speakers. She spoke out about many of Trump's policies and the so-called "One Big, Beautiful Bill," legislation working through Congress to enact Trump's agenda that she described as "a middle finger to our heroes" by offering tax cuts instead of keeping jobs. The crowd, in response, raised their own middle fingers to the sky. "You deserve better; you've earned better," Duckworth said during her remarks. "Since our warriors landed on the beaches of Normandy on this very day 81 years ago, those who have worn the uniform have defied the odds to define America at her best. America is what she is today because of the blood of brothers and sisters shed in combat zones." Dropkick Murphys played many of their signature hits, including "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" and "Rose Tattoo," but it was a newly released song played by the band titled "Who'll Stand With Us?" that appeared to strike the biggest chord. "Who'll stand with us? Don't tell us everything is fine, Who'll stand with us? Because this treatment is a crime," Casey belted to the crowd, with many attendees nodding in agreement. Related: Dropkick Murphys, Lawmakers to Join Veterans in Washington on D-Day to Protect VA Benefits, Federal Jobs
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
‘Unite for Vets' rally calls for Trump to abandon planned cuts at VA
Thousands of veterans converged on the National Mall on Friday to rally against proposed cuts to Veterans Affairs services, moves that advocates insist will endanger their health and lives. The 'Unite for Veterans, Unite for America Rally' — which featured a performance from the rock band Dropkick Murphys — was one of 200 events scheduled across the country Friday in an effort to mobilize the veterans community. The event was billed as nonpartisan, but the Washington gathering featured numerous signs and protests against President Donald Trump, VA Secretary Doug Collins and billionaire Elon Musk, accusing them of betraying the country's promises to troops. Collins, Dems spar over whether VA needs key fixes or full overhaul 'Are you tired of being thanked for our service in the public and stabbed in our back in private?' Army veteran Everett Kelly, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, asked the crowd assembled just a few blocks from the White House. 'For years, politicians on both sides of the aisle have campaigned on their support of veterans, but once they get into office, they cut our benefits, our services. They take every opportunity to privatize our health care.' The event — coinciding with the 81st anniversary of D-Day — was modeled on the Bonus Army protests of the 1930s, when veterans who served in World War I gathered in Washington to demand extra pay they had been denied after leaving the service. Organizers said this public protest needed to highlight worrisome plans from Trump and Collins to cut roughly 80,000 VA staffers in the coming months and shift more money from the federal health care system to private-sector clinics. VA officials in a statement dismissed the concerns and the event as misguided. 'Anyone who says VA is cutting health care and benefits is not being honest,' said VA press secretary Peter Kasperowicz in a statement. 'The Biden Administration failed to address nearly all of VA's most serious problems, including rising health care wait times, benefits backlogs, and major issues with survivor benefits. Under President Trump and Secretary Collins, VA is fixing these problems and making major improvements.' Department leaders have sparred with Democratic lawmakers in recent months over details of those plans, and over the assertion that VA is a fundamentally broken organization in need of major reforms. Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse working at a VA hospital and the secretary-treasurer of National Nurses United, said workers are already dealing with new restrictions and issues of short-staffing, with fears that more are on the way. 'It's important for every person to keep their job, from the engineering staff to the housekeeper to the dietary staff,' she told the crowd, eliciting applause. 'When cuts are made, the nursing and medical staff will have to pick up all their work that needs to be done.' Organizers encouraged veterans at Friday's rally to take their protests back home, through local activism and awareness campaigns, to ensure veterans services remain unharmed. For their part, VA officials dismissed the event as little more than union complaints and pledged to press ahead with their reform proposals in the coming months.
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
Dropkick Murphys announce new album and release single
The Dropkick Murphys have announced their new album, For The People, set for release on July 4. The record will be the band's 13th studio album. It includes 12 tracks featuring collaborations with musicians such as Billy Bragg, The Scratch, The Mary Wallopers and Al Barr. The album closes with a tribute to the late Shane MacGowan of The Pogues. The band also released a new single 'Who'll Stand With Us?', the first from their forthcoming longplayer. The song addresses themes of class division and social injustice in the United States. The music video shows people being disappeared, a reference to the Trump administration's recent mass deportations. 'Who'll Stand With Us?' is 'a call for unity, a return to sanity, and a look at what – and who–is really dividing us… When the billionaires and broligarchs get done neutering society, what's left for the rest of us? The song aims to frame class warfare for what it is,' read a statement from the band. Dropkick Murphys will launch their U.S. Summer of Discontent tour with Bad Religion on July 22. Ahead of that, the band known for their Celtic-infused punk sound will perform at Fenway Park in Boston on July 11.
Boston Globe
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Dropkick Murphys announce ‘For The People' album, drop new music video
Advertisement 'We've always had the same message and haven't been afraid to speak out about what's important to us. But for me now, I think about my kids' future, and the next generation,' frontman Ken Casey said in a press release statement. 'That could be anything from speaking out against injustices, or just simply making sure you take the time to tell the people close to you how important they are to you.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up In addition to the album news, the band released the music video for 'Who'll Stand With Us?,' the first single off the record. According to a press release, the song is 'call for unity' and a 'return to sanity.' The new track 'aims to frame class warfare for what it is,' while calling out the 'billionaires and broligarchs' the band says are dividing society. Advertisement The Dropkick Murphys played an acoustic version of the song during the 'No kings here,' Casey said. 'One man thinks he calls all the shots, and that's not what he was elected for. He's elected to be a public servant for all, and we're here to speak up against that.' The new music video and album coincide with a busy summer for the group, best known for their 2006 hit 'I'm Shipping Up to Boston.' On Friday, which also marks the 81st anniversary of D-Day, the Dropkick Murphys will perform on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. as part of the Unite for Veterans, Unite for America event. The band will continue to rock out and speak up as they embark on their 'Summer Of Discontent Tour,' which launches in July with L.A. rockers Bad Religion as co-headliners. The Dropkick Murphys are also set to perform at the Matt Juul can be reached at
