Tom Morello arrested for "unlawful assembly"

Former Rage Against the Machine and current Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello was arrested yesterday on charges of "unlawful assembly." The musician and producer was one of 400 protesters arrested early Thursday evening during a march to raise awareness for immigrant hotel workers' rights.

Morello told MTV about his reasons for participating:

In these political dark ages, it's important for us to stand up for one another. These hotel workers by the airport make 20 percent less wages than hotel workers around the rest of Los Angeles. We're here to express our solidarity with them, to help them unionize and to help them close the gap between their sub-poverty wages and the millions and millions of dollars the people who own these hotels make.

Morello was expecting to be arrested, and along with other participants, gave the Los Angeles Police Department their driver's license numbers days before the event to expedite processing. About 2,000 protesters actually participated in the march,with those willing to be arrested wearing yellow signs to distinguish themselves from the others.

Morelllo is a Harvard graduate and besides his notable work in Rage Against the Machine, a busy producer responsible for music from Anti-Flag and others. He is also a member of the Axis of Justice, a charitable organization he formed with Serj Tankian of System of a Down.