United Against Hate: Michael Stipe, Mark Ruffalo, Over 100 Artists Form Coalition To Defeat Trump

United Against Hate is the name of a newly announced coalition formed by over 100 producers, directors, actors, writers, musicians, and other artists including Mark Ruffalo, Michael Stipe, Shonda Rimes, Michael Moore, Russell Simmons, and Bryan Cranston.

The United Against Hate group is asking Americans to sign an online petition hosted with MoveOn.org.

“When dangerous and divisive leaders have come to power in the past, it has been in part because those of goodwill failed to speak out for themselves or their fellow citizens… as history has shown, it’s often only a matter of time before the ‘other’ becomes me… That is why we need to unite before it is too late.”

Last fall, when Republican debates and campaigning for the 2016 elections were just getting underway, former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe published comments with regard to the use of “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” at a Tea Party rally in Washington, D.C. jointly attended by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, as reported by the Inquisitr.

Stipe described Trump and Cruz as “sad, attention grabbing, power-hungry little men.”

“Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign,” Stipe wrote.

Michael Stipe and R.E.M. were not the first musicians to decry Donald Trump’s use of their music. When Trump played Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World” as he first announced his presidential candidacy in June 2015, the Canadian-born musician publicly expressed his displeasure. The reported billionaire reacted by publishing a photo of himself with Young.

It turned out that Neil Young had just recently asked Trump for money and that the Trump campaign had properly licensed its use of the Young song from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. Despite this, it was reported that the Trump campaign stated that they would no longer use Young’s music.

The Rolling Stones have twice expressed their dismay over the Trump campaign’s use of their music. Most recently, last Thursday evening, the Republican National Convention was closed out with the Stones’ “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” as reported by the Inquisitr.

“The Rolling Stones have never given permission to the Trump campaign to use their songs,” a statement from the band read.

The use of the Rolling Stones’ hit followed the GOP convention being opened with Queen’s “We Are The Champions,” which caused guitarist Brian May to be sent what he described as an “avalanche of complaints,” as reported by the Inquisitr.

Thus far, of the musical artists who have publicly rebuked Donald Trump for his campaign’s use of their music, Michael Stipe appears to be the only member of the group to formerly put their name to United Against Hate.

Actor and producer Mark Ruffalo, who has joined with United Against Hate, supported and campaigned for Bernie Sanders throughout the Vermont senator’s presidential run. The Avengers star said in March that in a general election match up, Bernie Sanders would “mop the floor” with Donald Trump.

Ruffalo has described Donald Trump as “dangerous” and “divisive” and stated that he wasn’t surprised when violence broke out at rallies of a candidate espousing the billionaire’s “violent” rhetoric. The actor and producer has stated that he worries about allowing his children to watch Donald Trump speak on television, because of the views he promotes and language he uses.

Other artists involved in United Against Hate include actors Kerry Washington, Woody Harrelson, Neil Patrick Harris, Patricia Arquette, Julianne Moore, Ilana Glazer, and Abbi Jacobson and musicians Third Eye Blind, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, and Mary Lambert among many others.

The United Against Hate group has started #UnitedAgainstHate on Twitter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx5Ldyd7MAo

[Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images]