A-Infos (en) France, Monde Libertaire - "We are all antifascists!" (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

Songs sung by a group, a crowd, give passion and heart to action, 
creating a collective memory. In 2022, Éditions du Détour published a 
book entitled *En Lutte! Carnet de chants* (In Struggle! Songbook). This 
book brought together historical songs and more recent ones. They all 
share the common thread of being songs of struggle. In those times 
before the internet and cell phones, when mobilization was expressed 
through enthusiasm, people sang. They are now repeating this experience 
with the same group of historians and teachers. It should be noted that 
they run the blog *L'histgeobox*, where they offer analyses of more than 
400 songs within their historical context. The book is titled *Siamo 
tutti antifascisti* (We are all antifascists) with the subtitle 
*Chantons contre l'oppression* (Let's Sing Against Oppression). Often, 
an event is the catalyst for writing a book. The 2024 legislative 
elections in France highlighted the rise of the far right, which is not 
limited to a few parliamentary seats. They also showed that alliances 
between the traditional right and extremist movements were accepted by 
both party machines and activists. Voters are no longer hiding; sinister 
impulses are being unleashed. The authors of the book use a slogan from 
the 1920s, chanted in Italy, as their title, and three raised fists are 
displayed on the cover. Everyone can see the threat and the spread of 
far-right ideas around the world, whether shamelessly or in disguised, 
camouflaged forms.

The fight against oppression is not new. So, people sing, they support 
each other, they comfort one another. Authoritarian powers seek to 
control and suppress dissent. "Some artists take refuge behind metaphors 
and double entendres to outmaneuver and outmaneuver the censors." Social 
media is under particular scrutiny. Methods change, authoritarianism 
doesn't, but protest also knows how to adapt. And the authors express 
their hope that "other fists will be raised to sing against oppression."

"Other fists will be raised"

25 songs are selected for this book. The oldest dates back to 1791, and 
the most recent, titled Barayé, comes to us from Tehran in 2022. Some 
are familiar, such as El Paso del Ebro, the song of the marshes, Bella 
Ciao, La complainte du partisan, El pueblo unido jamás será vencido... 
Others evoke segregation, like Nina Simone's Mississippi Goddam. 
Sometimes songs conceal their message, like Le sire de Fisch-ton-can 
against Napoleon III.

The lyrics and music are sometimes forgotten. One of the contributions 
of this book is to bring them back into the public eye. The lyrics are 
provided, and the context in which the songs were written is very well 
explained by the authors. For example, Maxime Le Forestier's song 
"Parachutiste" (Paratrooper) faced repression and censorship from the 
official media. A radio program featuring the singer on Europe 1 in the 
1970s was even interrupted by far-right thugs. Other songs reflect the 
ongoing struggles. Freedoms are not a reality in Egypt, despite "Irhal," 
which dates from 2011. The fight is also hard in Mexico against threats 
from the United States, as illustrated by the song "La Adelita." What 
future lies ahead in South Africa with "Gimme Hope Jo'Anna"?

These songs come from all over the world and have been around for over 
two centuries. They express the yearning of women and men for freedom 
and dignity.

* Etienne Augris, Julien Blottière, Jean-Christophe Diedrich, Véronique 
Servat
Siamo tutti antifascisti
Chantons contre l'oppression (We Are All Antifascists)
Ed. du Détour, 2025

https://monde-libertaire.net/?articlen=8692
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