Rage Against Machine and System of a Down Members Stage Protest Against Anti-Homeless Law

After forming the activist organization Axis of Justice last summer, Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello and System of a Down singer Serj Tankian staged a protest in Santa Monica on Friday (1/3), opposing the city?s new anti-homeless ordinance.

The new law places severe restrictions on food distribution programs for the homeless, forcing distributors to adhere to restaurant codes when handing out food in public areas. "Feeding the homeless is not a crime," said Morello in a statement. "The real crime is that the members of the Santa Monica city council, all of whom have homes and plenty to eat, have passed a law making it illegal to help the poor. Axis of Justice is happy to provide meals for the needy in defiance of this unjust law."

After distributing lunches to homeless people in a park, Morello, Tankian, representatives from other groups such as HOPE (Helping Other People Eat) and Food Not Bombs, as well as about 30 homeless people, marched up to the Third Street Promenade shopping strip with protest signs. Morello then spoke at a press conference held by the National Lawyers Guild, which filed a lawsuit against the city of Santa Monica challenging the ordinance.

"I don't understand. The homeless have never been a problem," Tankian told MTV News. "Businesses want the homeless out of the way because it doesn't look good. This is Los Angeles ? it has to look good. In reality, it's not stopping business. Their sales are at record highs. It doesn't matter. The truth of the matter is it's going to leave these people starving."