In the summer's Woodstock '99, a number of women claimed to be victims of various forms of sexual assault at the concert.
AdRock had something to say about this. Spurred to comment by reports of numerous sexual assaults alleged to have happened at the summer festival, he took the podium at the MTV Video Music Awards and called on promoters to insure safety of female concert attendants for what went down in Woodstock '99, when winning an award presented by Diana Ross for best hip hop video.
"I read in the news, and heard from my friends, all about the sexual assaults, and the rapes that went down in woodstock 99, and made me really sad and angry. Ok, are you all there? Ok. Ya'll remember that? Woodstock, what happened? So I was thinking why should I just feel mad about it, and not do anything about it? And I think we can do something about it. As musicians now I'm talking to all the musicians here, (thank you Diana Ross) all the musicians here, I think we can talk to the promoters and make sure that they're doing something about the safety of all the girls and the women that come to our shows. I think we can talk and work with the security people to make sure they know and understand about sexual harassment and rape and they know how to handle these situations. You know what I'm saying? Respectfully." (see "Hear Adrock's Speach" to listen to him)
Woodstock '99 organizers replied by issuing a statement that read, "We congratulate the Beastie Boys and all of the artists who have recognized that the allegations of sexual assault on the site of Woodstock '99 are very serious and deserve attention from both the public and the entertainment industry. Concert promoters, security companies, artists and so many others who work daily to put on concerts must work together to foster an environment of safety and security for all concert goers."
Hear Adrock's Speach
