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The Antilopen Gang stands for protest culture

Photo:

Danny Kötter

Six months after the Islamist Hamas terrorist attack on Israel, the German political rappers from the band Antilopen Gang wrote a song about the social situation and anti-Jewish sentiment since then. “October in Europe” came about “as if by itself” – “out of necessity,” the musicians wrote as a comment on the song, for example on Instagram. When the band sat down in November to write songs for their new double album, October 7th overshadowed all thoughts and conversations. »Any attempt at a song that avoided this topic seemed wrong and irrelevant to us - not least in view of the telling silence of most of the other musicians.«

In the song, Danger Dan's part says: "It's complicated too, you just have to see both sides. When terrorists rape women in piles of corpses." Or: "Stars of David are sprayed on the front doors - is this this so-called criticism of Israel?"

"My taxi driver talks like a Nazi"

In the part by rapper Panik Panzer the following lines appear: »My taxi driver talks like a Nazi. It's better not to have discussions at the party. Friends with strong convictions. Hamas propaganda on the walls of houses in Kreuzberg." Kolja raps: "The times are rough and I don't know exactly. Whether I dare to look at the newspaper again tomorrow.” The Antilopen Gang has previously addressed the topic of right-wing extremism, for example in their song “Beate Zschäpe listens to U2”.

There is a heated debate online about the provocative lines. The “finger is being put right in the middle of the wound,” the song is “internal-left criticism that is urgently needed,” it says on the social media platform X. There are also negative reactions. The new publication is castigated as “a masterpiece of historical relativization.” There is a lack of empathy for the 35,000 dead in the Gaza Strip, many of them children.

From politics, Chancellor Wolfgang Schmidt speaks on X about the “great song”. CDU member of the Bundestag Matthias Hauer is surprised by this statement, given the "criticism it contains of Schmidt's boss Olaf Scholz." One line of the song goes: “And the Chancellor sounds so upset. Afterwards he drinks tea with the murderers.”

The terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas on Israel on October 7th and Israel's bellicose reaction in the Gaza Strip have triggered anti-Semitic reactions in Germany and around the world. It is Israel's longest and bloodiest war since the War of Independence in 1948 - and there is no end in sight.

kek/dpa