"A sky full of stars, blue sea as far as you can see
An earth where flowers grow, can you wish for more?
Together shall we live, every sister, brother
Young children of the rainbow, a fertile land."
"They gathered by the tens of thousands in the drenching rain to face down terrorism with song. They rallied against far-right fanatic Anders Behring Breivik, now on trial for a bomb-and-shooting rampage that killed 77 people. They sang a Norwegian version of a Pete Seeger tune that the
confessed mass killer claims has been used to brainwash the country's
youth into supporting immigration. Defiant singalongs of "Children of the Rainbow" were staged in Oslo
and other major Norwegian cities, even as the ninth day of the trial
went on with survivors of Breivik's attacks giving tearful testimony. In downtown Oslo alone, about 40,000 people raised their voices as
Norwegian artist Lillebjoern Nilsen played the song, a Norwegian version
of Seeger's "My Rainbow Race."
Yes, this kind of protest says more about the nature of a people than throwing firebombs ever can. It is probably also far more effective.
ReplyDeleteListening brought me to tears.
ReplyDelete