Audioslave Guitarist Behind Bars
Tom Morello of the rock group "Audioslave" was thrown behind bars Thursday for his role in a non-violent protest for hotel workers' rights. The famously political rocker, along with 279 others, was arrested for his role in a sit in-style protest in the middle of one of the busiest streets in Los Angeles. The LAPD quickly broke up the demonstration and charged everyone, including Morello, with suspicion of unlawful assembly and failure to disperse. Both are classified as misdemeanor violations.
Early this morning, Morello called into LA radio station KROQ from the LA County Jail and discussed his plight on the top-rated "Kevin and Bean" morning show. Besides defending his decision to protest, the rock star joked about the hardships of life behind bars, claiming he had to "shank someone for a glass of cranberry juice."
An LAPD spokesperson tells TMZ that the protesters are still being held on $5,000 bail, due to the overwhelming amount of paperwork that has yet to be processed. The LAPD also claims that all participants had been warned by the police in advance about the consequences of their actions, even advising the group that arrests would begin at 5:30PM.