"L'Amour Toujours" party forbidden at Oktoberfest.
The popular song "L'Amour Toujours" has been prohibited from being played at the Munich Oktoberfest, a prominent annual event. Munich's economic representative, Clemens Baumgaertner, who manages the Wiesn, announced on Bavarian Radio (BR), "The song will not be performed - neither inside the tents nor elsewhere." He has issued explicit guidelines for hosts and carnival barkers.
The Munich Oktoberfest, an international and open event, has experienced a recent surge of right-wing incidents involving this song. At a prestigious bar on the North Sea island of Sylt, multiple young people belted out lines like "Ausländer raus" and "Deutschland den Deutschen" during the party hit "L'Amour Toujours" at a commercial Easter festival. Similar occurrences took place at folk and shooting festivals in Bavaria and Lower Saxony.
This has led to widespread public outrage and a heated discussion on the prevalence of far-right attitudes in Germany. A viral video showcasing young people singing prejudiced lyrics to the 1999 song while dancing to "L'Amour Toujours" and sharing the clips on social media platforms has raised concerns about the spread of a "right-wing meme culture."
Baumgaertner further clarified on BR that the song has acquired "a racist connotation." The festival's strict terms of service, which forbid tolerating racist statements, now allow it to be banned completely from the Wiesn.
The immensely popular Wiesn, the world's largest folk festival, draws millions of German and foreign tourists each year to Munich's Theresienwiese. The 2018 edition will commence on September 21st.
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After the ban on "L'Amour Toujours" at Oktoberfest due to its association with right-wing incidents, many party-goers may find the absence of this party hit disappointing. Despite the song's history as a popular hit, its use might never feel quite the same again during Oktoberfest's annual festivities.
Source: www.ntv.de
