Why do far-right extremists shout "Love forever"?
A popular party song is causing a scandal after it was used as a backdrop for racist chants, leading to an investigation into the investigators. Allegedly, this was part of a targeted strategy and not confined to Sylt.
There has been a lot of talk about a video that clearly took place at the Pony Club on Sylt during Pentecost, where young people could be seen and heard shouting racist slurs. They casually sang "Germany for the Germans - Foreigners out!", with no one seeming bothered by it.
The song that provided the melody for these hateful words is called "L'amour toujours" by the Italian DJ and music producer Gigi D'Agostino. This song was released in 1999 on the same-named album and reached some chart positions in 2001. It's supposed to be all about eternal love.
The Sylt incident is just the most recent in a string of similar occurrences, all tied to Gigi D'Agostino's song. "For months, there have been reports of this song being used to spread xenophobia," says the state commissioner for political education in Schleswig-Holstein, Christian Meyer-Heidemann. "Since December, these incidents have been happening. In January, racist chants were sung to the song at a disco in Pahlen, also in Schleswig-Holstein. There have been similar reports from other federal states, and I've become aware that this song is being used."
The Misuse of Pop Culture
The transformation of a love song into a neo-Nazi anthem started in the small village of Bergholz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. The "Katapult" magazine reported back in October 2023 about an incident at a harvest festival in the village. According to the report, several people sang "Germany for the Germans - Foreigners out!" to the beat of the song "L'amour toujours" at the "Dance under the harvest crown" in the so-called Andreashalle.
Since then, there have been similar incidents, like in a disco in the eastern Hessian Kalbach or at a Christmas party in the East Frisian Messingen, as well as at far-right party events in Bavaria. The state security is investigating in several federal states.
Social media has played a big role in the spread of this. "This piece, which is over 20 years old and has no racist content in the text, is being used as a kind of instrument," says Meyer-Heidemann. The Bergholz clip was shared on Instagram, and after the reporting, the corresponding account was deleted. Since then, there have been new snippets appearing on TikTok, which are often marked with Nazi symbols. The right-wing extremism researcher Matthias Quent called D'Agostino's song "a pop cultural song, to which a right-wing extremist cover song exists".
This is also because right-wing extremist groups, as well as parties, have been deliberately using content on social media. "It's a phenomenon that shows the structures in which right-wing extremists try to spread their propaganda," says the expert on political education, Meyer-Heidemann. In the past, they tried to distribute right-wing rock CDs on schoolyards to promote the ideology of National Socialism, nationalism, power, masculinity, exclusion, and discrimination. Now, the right-wing extremist scene is hijacking pop culture completely intentionally.
It would be hard to imagine this group of songs being cheered on by the Bohemian Onkelz or other right-wing rock bands on Sylt, says Meyer-Heidemann. Due to the fact that it's supposedly catchy pop music, a different target audience is being targeted. "And we can see that this has obviously also caught on with younger people, who have partly taken it up without thinking."
Gigi D'Agostino has now spoken out about the misuse of his song. "In my song 'L'amour toujours', it's about a wonderful, great and intense feeling that connects people," he said over the weekend. "It's the power of love that keeps me alive." At the center of this are the joys of the beauty of being together.
The music publisher ZYX, who released the song and the accompanying album "L'amour toujours" in Germany, announced that legal action would be taken against the misuse. The song was not meant for racist slogans. The label from Merenberg, therefore, filed a complaint with the Limburg prosecutor's office against unknown individuals for incitement to hatred and possible copyright infringement.
While efforts are being made to prevent any new videos with the racist chants from appearing, "L'amour toujours" has been banned from being played at the annual Oktoberfest for precautionary reasons. "We'll ban it, and I'll ban it," said Oktoberfest boss Clemens Baumgaertner. "There's no place for right-wing propaganda at the Wiesn."
In parallel, the song's reclamation has started to gain traction on social media platforms. On TikTok, numerous clips are surfacing, featuring people dancing to D'Agostino's music. Not only do they groove to the beats but also sing the original lyrics, clearly enunciating, "Nazis out, Nazis out, Germany is diverse, all Nazis out."
Meyer-Heidemann views this development, in conjunction with the Sylt incident, as a positive sign. "It's heartening to see that this song is etched into people's minds and acts as a subtle, yet constant reminder that there's an alternate perspective and a countermovement at play. That brings hope."
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- The misuse of Gigi D'Agostino's popular song "L'amour toujours" has spanned beyond Germany, becoming a tool for right-wing extremism in various international music scenes.
- The global spread of this unfortunate misappropriation of music has highlighted the concerning reach and adaptation of extremist ideologies within international music communities, linking right-wing extremism to the global music scene.
Source: www.ntv.de
