--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We had punks literally protesting Fugazi…" description: "\"We had punks literally protesting Fugazi. I respect a boycott. I respect a conscionable boycott, but of all bands to boycott? Fight crime. If you reall..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/ian-mackaye-3369_band_we-had-punks-literally-protesting-fugazi_2667015.png" --- # We had punks literally protesting Fugazi. I respect a… ![“We had punks literally protesting Fugazi. I respect a boycott. I respect a conscionable boycott, but of all bands to boycott? Fight crime. If you really want to get out there, go fight crime.” quote by Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/ian-mackaye-3369_band_we-had-punks-literally-protesting-fugazi_2667015.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/ian-mackaye-3369_band_we-had-punks-literally-protesting-fugazi_2667015.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9bb/ian-mackaye-3369_band_we-had-punks-literally-protesting-fugazi_2667015.png) > “We had punks literally protesting Fugazi. I respect a boycott. I respect a conscionable boycott, but of all bands to boycott? Fight crime. If you really want to get out there, go fight crime.” [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Boycotting a band for political reasons can be contradictory; true activism should target crime directly. **In simple terms:** Boycotts may conflict with activism goals; focus on direct action. Key Takeaway Choose direct, consistent actions over symbolic boycotts. Themes activism political consistency direct action boycott paradox Mood critical thought‑provoking Type activism political When to use this quote - organizing community clean‑ups - advocating policy change - supporting local businesses Key Concepts social movements ethical consistency strategic protest Questions to Reflect On - What actions best address the issue you care about? - When is a boycott an effective tactic? A Different Perspective Boycotts can dilute message if not aligned with core values. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Band](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/band/) [Bands Boycott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bands-boycott-2472955/) [Boycott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boycott/) [Boycott Bands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boycott-bands-2472953/) [Boycott Respect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boycott-respect-2472956/) [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) [Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fighting/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Protesting Fugazi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/protesting-fugazi-2472954/) [Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk/) [Respect Boycott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/respect-boycott-2472957/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) ## Related quotes > [“. Despite the considerable horror they had felt when the SA men were bellowing crude anti-Semitic slogans, in retrospect the joke-tellers were very much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudolph-herzog/despite-the-considerable-horror-they-had-felt-when-the-sa-men-were/) [Rudolph Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudolph-herzog/) > [I believe that the boycott that we have against Cuba is counterproductive, and it also makes the twelve million or so Cuban people suffer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/i-believe-that-the-boycott-that-we-have-against-cuba-is/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [I believe boycotts are wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-brewer/i-believe-boycotts-are-wrong/) [Jan Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-brewer/) > [The road to social justice for the farm worker is the road of unionization. Our cause, our strike against table grapes and our international…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/the-road-to-social-justice-for-the-farm-worker-is-the-road-of/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [I'm not encouraging massive boycotts of turning off the news. That's what the left does. I'm just telling you my own personal experience. I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-not-encouraging-massive-boycotts-of-turning-off-the-news-that-s/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [ \[Boycott Oscar\] is like crying about not having enough icing on your cake. It's just ridiculous. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ice-cube/boycott-oscar-is-like-crying-about-not-having-enough-icing-on-your/) [Ice Cube](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ice-cube/) > [Americans should boycott Yahoo products until they get the message that freedom is an American ideal, and we're not going to give it up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shervin-pishevar/americans-should-boycott-yahoo-products-until-they-get-the-message/) [Shervin Pishevar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shervin-pishevar/) > [Six imams removed from a US Airways flight from Minneapolis to Phoenix are calling on Muslims to boycott the airline. If only we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-coulter/six-imams-removed-from-a-us-airways-flight-from-minneapolis-to/) [Ann Coulter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-coulter/) > [I support the boycott because I do not think at this stage there is any other way to make our authorities see and understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yekaterina-samutsevich/i-support-the-boycott-because-i-do-not-think-at-this-stage-there-is/) [Yekaterina Samutsevich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yekaterina-samutsevich/) > [Well, I certainly hope the Democrats participate. I continue to think that some things transcend politics like the murder of four of our fellow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trey-gowdy/well-i-certainly-hope-the-democrats-participate-i-continue-to-think/) [Trey Gowdy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trey-gowdy/) > [If you want to boycott Israel because of Palestine, I don't think you actually care, because you're also boycotting 2 million Muslim Palestinian Israelis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuseir-yassin/if-you-want-to-boycott-israel-because-of-palestine-i-don-t-think-you/) [Nuseir Yassin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nuseir-yassin/) > [When I was teaching at an institution that bent over backward for foreign students, I was asked in class one day: "What is your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-sowell/when-i-was-teaching-at-an-institution-that-bent-over-backward-for/) [Thomas Sowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-sowell/) > [We shall strike. We shall organize boycotts. We shall demonstrate and have political campaigns. We shall pursue the revolution we have proposed. We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cesar-chavez/we-shall-strike-we-shall-organize-boycotts-we-shall-demonstrate-and/) [Cesar Chavez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cesar-chavez/) > [The majority of the Negroes who took part in the year-long boycott of Montgomery's buses were poor and untutored; but they understood the essence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther-king-jr/the-majority-of-the-negroes-who-took-part-in-the-year-long-boycott-of/) [Martin Luther King, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther-king-jr/) > [Hamas, the opponents of Arafat, the opponents of peace, urged a boycott of the election, and yet there was an 85 percent turnout where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-christopher/hamas-the-opponents-of-arafat-the-opponents-of-peace-urged-a-boycott/) [Warren Christopher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-christopher/) ## More by Ian MacKaye > [Truth is, right now two bombs could drop out of the sky and blow up this house and whatever building you're in and just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/truth-is-right-now-two-bombs-could-drop-out-of-the-sky-and-blow-up/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think it's my nature to engage in things that are more difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-it-s-my-nature-to-engage-in-things-that-are-more-difficult/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The thing is, people can't complain about profit-oriented moves if they're only interested in profit themselves. You can't have it both ways. If they're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-thing-is-people-can-t-complain-about-profit-oriented-moves-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [What people don't understand is that the underground that existed was created in the early 80s and was thriving throughout the 80s. Until the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/what-people-don-t-understand-is-that-the-underground-that-existed-was/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think that people are constantly thinking about capturing things that they're not actually present for the moment they're trying to capture. I'm quite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-that-people-are-constantly-thinking-about-capturing-things/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [ I'd much rather talk to a 30-year old that survived rough times in their lives \[practicing Straight Edge\] rather than someone that was harmed… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-d-much-rather-talk-to-a-30-year-old-that-survived-rough-times-in/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [ For most people who have or who do identify as or with \[song\] Straight Edge, I feel like for most people, they're just trying… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/for-most-people-who-have-or-who-do-identify-as-or-with-song-straight/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The Corcoran show was actually almost a reportage. The exhibit was, in many ways, pretty unique. It was one of the first pieces about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-corcoran-show-was-actually-almost-a-reportage-the-exhibit-was-in/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [The Fugazi Live Series site, when we realized the Internet, the way it works - the speeds and its development - made it possible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/the-fugazi-live-series-site-when-we-realized-the-internet-the-way-it/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I'm always happy when I hear about people selling records or selling books or selling movies. It makes me proud of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-m-always-happy-when-i-hear-about-people-selling-records-or-selling/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [An unlocked door means that, occasionally, you might get a devil come in, but a locked door means you have thousands of angels just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/an-unlocked-door-means-that-occasionally-you-might-get-a-devil-come/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I consider the piano my 'main' instrument and have been playing for as long as I can remember. It seems to me that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-consider-the-piano-my-main-instrument-and-have-been-playing-for-as/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I work so I don't need to make rent through my songs, and I think if more people engaged with music without needing it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-work-so-i-don-t-need-to-make-rent-through-my-songs-and-i-think-if/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [Guy Picciotto had a really sound point: Live albums basically have bands playing songs that are available on studio records, and what example can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/guy-picciotto-had-a-really-sound-point-live-albums-basically-have/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) > [I think that the idea of straight edge, the song that I wrote, and the way people have related it it, there's some people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-mackaye/i-think-that-the-idea-of-straight-edge-the-song-that-i-wrote-and-the/) [Ian MacKaye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) [Explore all 132 Ian MacKaye quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-mackaye/) ## More Band quotes > [The reason I was drawn to the Band Perry was because they have a knack for doing rollicking country music that can sound a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phoebe-robinson/the-reason-i-was-drawn-to-the-band-perry-was-because-they-have-a/) [Phoebe Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phoebe-robinson/) > [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/) [Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/) > [There is something to be said though when you have 4 or 5 guys playing with no net, there is a sense of urgency,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-mendoza/there-is-something-to-be-said-though-when-you-have-4-or-5-guys/) [Marco Mendoza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-mendoza/) > [My Nirvana experience was much different than the other three guys. For me, it was really new and exciting. I was just a guy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-smear/my-nirvana-experience-was-much-different-than-the-other-three-guys/) [Pat Smear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-smear/) > [I think my music has always been a mixture, depending on whom I'm working with - what band, what musicians, what producer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matisyahu/i-think-my-music-has-always-been-a-mixture-depending-on-whom-i-m/) [Matisyahu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matisyahu/) > [As you'll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-beecham/as-you-ll-never-hear-the-thing-again-my-boy-why-not-throw-in-a-couple/) [Thomas Beecham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-beecham/) > [I've always made sure that I tour with bands that people aren't expecting me to tour with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayer-hawthorne/i-ve-always-made-sure-that-i-tour-with-bands-that-people-aren-t/) [Mayer Hawthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayer-hawthorne/) > [There is more to me than just having been in the Runaways. And even though I'm really, really proud of what the band accomplished,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-fuchs/there-is-more-to-me-than-just-having-been-in-the-runaways-and-even/) [Jackie Fuchs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-fuchs/) > [I like the bad-boy types. Generally the guy I'm attracted to is the guy in the club with all the tattoos and nail polish.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/i-like-the-bad-boy-types-generally-the-guy-i-m-attracted-to-is-the/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [Bass guitar is the engine of the band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzi-quatro/bass-guitar-is-the-engine-of-the-band/) [Suzi Quatro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzi-quatro/) > [I just became accustomed to being all the members of the band. That was something that was really exciting to me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacob-collier/i-just-became-accustomed-to-being-all-the-members-of-the-band-that/) [Jacob Collier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacob-collier/) > [I guess because we're essentially a two-man band, we're attracting Wham's crowd. But Wham! are more of a businessman's band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curt-smith/i-guess-because-we-re-essentially-a-two-man-band-we-re-attracting/) [Curt Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curt-smith/) > [I'm about as privileged as you can get. I'm a white, male, heterosexual front man of a rock band.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-reynolds/i-m-about-as-privileged-as-you-can-get-i-m-a-white-male-heterosexual/) [Dan Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-reynolds/) > [I'd been playing in bands for something like seven years at this point. 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