Fans of Guns N’ Roses got an unusual opportunity involving a Trump pinata during the band’s November 30 show in Mexico City. In the middle of the show, Guns N’ Roses lead singer Axl Rose took a time-out from wailing out the band’s greatest hits to introduce the show’s special guest, a giant Trump effigy in the form of a massive pinata.
The politicizing of the Guns N’ Roses Mexico City concert didn’t stop there. Rather than just continuing the show alongside the paper mache president-elect, the band called some fans up to the stage to “interact” with the Donald Trump prop.
Guns N’ Roses invite Mexican fans on stage to beat Donald Trump pinata https://t.co/6rhY0klDDG
— The Independent (@Independent) December 3, 2016
The interaction between the Guns N’ Roses crowd and the Trump pinata took the form of bashing it with a large stick.
“Let’s bring in some people, and give them a f***ing stick. I want you to express yourselves, however you feel.”
Apparently, the audience was feeling like beating Donald Trump with a stick, because that’s what happened next, as demonstrated by this video recorded at the Guns N’ Roses show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5_pSIpjOTQ
As Independent reports, the Guns N’ Roses Trump pinata was a huge hit (excuse the pun), and concertgoers quickly got into the act of pummeling it. As the fans took out their anti-Trump rage on the poor pinata, Axl Rose encouraged them to keep it up, even giving the pinata-beaters pointers for the complete destruction of the faux Trump.
“Hit him in the head!”
Ultimately, the several fans that made it up on the Guns N’ Roses stage in Mexico City demolished the paper Trump, knocking off its arms and legs and beating it into a pulpy oblivion.
As TIME reports, the Guns N’ Roses Trump pinata stunt seemed to be deliberately targeted at a group of concertgoers likely to have a beef with the new president-elect. When it comes to Mexicans, Donald Trump’s fans are few and far between, according to most polling data. After all, Trump spent much of the election cycle brutally (but figuratively) bashing America’s south-of-the-border brethren and vowing to build that infamous wall (and make Mexico pay for it).
Indeed, Donald Trump publicly called Mexican immigrants “rapists” and “murderers” during his campaign. Oh, and he said that he couldn’t get a fair trial from a Mexican judge (who was born in the U.S.)
Trump denounces Mexican immigrants as “rapists” & “murderers” but praises Saddam who WAS a “murder” & whose sons WERE rapists.
— Max Boot ???? (@MaxBoot) July 6, 2016
Since he’s gone from candidate to president-elect, Trump has doubled down on his wall plans (although it might include fencing in some areas) and promised to deport millions of “criminal illegal immigrants” as soon as he’s sworn in.
Apparently, Guns N’ Roses remembered Donald Trump’s comments during the planning process for their Mexico City concert. So too did the Guns N’ Roses fans, who destroyed that Trump pinata in a minute flat.
In fact, while only a handful of the Guns N’ Roses Mexico City audience made it on stage to inflict damage to the dummy Trump, the video indicates that most of the crowd was enthusiastic about the display of anti-Trump vehemence.
“Chosen” fans were boosted onto the Mexico City stage by security personnel, and they were armed with sticks big enough to inflict destructive damage on the presidential pinata.
It wasn’t just the people at the show who got a kick about the Guns N’ Roses pinata bit; tons of folks have taken to social media to share their thoughts on the gimmick (many of them having something humorous to add to the conversation, others not so so much).
Guns and Roses brought fans on stage in Mexico City to hit a @realDonaldTrump piñata. But the piñata was made in the USA. #jobcreation
— Brian Bianchi (@Be_on_key) December 2, 2016
OMG! The #Trumphoons are going to have to #boycott GnR now? #maga
— AzGolfer (@AZGolfTP) December 2, 2016
After the audience participants beat the Trump pinata to shreds, the pieces were tossed out into the crowd (as souvenirs?). What’s more, the pinata was full of prizes, which appeared to be concert T-shirts that were handed out to some lucky fans up front.
Then, as the song goes, the show went on.
While eyebrow-raising, the Guns N’ Roses Trump pinata was actually the second time in a week that the PEOTUS was pummeled in effigy on a concert stage; rapper YG pulled a similar stunt in L.A.
[Featured Image by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images]