Last Chants?
Apr. 29th, 2002 08:48 amIn response to my 4/23 post, a reader writes that the chant "Bums, bums, we're all bums / Keep the rich on the run!" would never have been uttered because it doesn't rhyme with 1-2-3-4 or hey hey, ho ho. Now I'm not much of a chanter. It feels oddly lik e going to church to me, so I usually keep my mouth shut or make cynical comments. But there have been a number of fun chants over the years at demos I've attended that have been worth yelling.
(serious looks-fists raised) Smash the state!
(smiling-waving to any onlookers) and have a nice day!
(1988 Anarchist Unconvention war chest tour-Toronto)
1-2-3-4 Let's Boogie!
5-6-7-8 Organize to smash the state!
(spontaneous chant on the anarchist samba line at the 1988 DC abortion rights demo)
Bush, you liar,
We'll set your ass on fire!
(many Gulf War protests)
Bad cop, no donut!
Bad cop, no donut!
(after a police raid on a peaceful Castro demo/street party. I think that's when the Chief of Police's loafer got liberated by an angry, and fashion-conscious, c rowd.)
Admittedly, this is a very small number for 18 years of demo going.
And it seems like a good time to remember my favorite all-time funniest chant. I never heard this actually said out loud, but it was printed on a chant sheet handed out at a smal l sectarian demo. One can only hope that it was placed there only to encourage a new member of the organization and never repeated aloud. On the positive side, it doesn't rhyme with "ho ho".
It's illegal and immoral /
to burn down tiny countries /
just because you can!
Anyone have any other good ones to add?
a
(serious looks-fists raised) Smash the state!
(smiling-waving to any onlookers) and have a nice day!
(1988 Anarchist Unconvention war chest tour-Toronto)
1-2-3-4 Let's Boogie!
5-6-7-8 Organize to smash the state!
(spontaneous chant on the anarchist samba line at the 1988 DC abortion rights demo)
Bush, you liar,
We'll set your ass on fire!
(many Gulf War protests)
Bad cop, no donut!
Bad cop, no donut!
(after a police raid on a peaceful Castro demo/street party. I think that's when the Chief of Police's loafer got liberated by an angry, and fashion-conscious, c rowd.)
Admittedly, this is a very small number for 18 years of demo going.
And it seems like a good time to remember my favorite all-time funniest chant. I never heard this actually said out loud, but it was printed on a chant sheet handed out at a smal l sectarian demo. One can only hope that it was placed there only to encourage a new member of the organization and never repeated aloud. On the positive side, it doesn't rhyme with "ho ho".
It's illegal and immoral /
to burn down tiny countries /
just because you can!
Anyone have any other good ones to add?
a