More of this, please.
A Danish collective of jazz musicians have perfected their far-right counter-protest strategy. "Free Jazz Against Paludan" follows the far-right politician Rasmus Paludan around the country and plays jazz very loudly and very badly at his events, in a bid to drown out his voice.
Paludan, founder of the political party Stram Kurs (Hard Line), is notorious for organising "demonstrations" in neighbourhoods with large immigrant populations, where he burns, throws, and stomps on Qurans behind walls of police officers. A self-proclaimed "guardian of freedom" and "light of the Danes", Paludan considers immigrants and Islam enemies of the Danish people, as well as the country's values, traditions and general way of life.
Since May, jazz musicians countrywide have crashed his demonstrations armed with trumpets, bongo drums and saxophones. When allowed in close proximity, they play right in his face, to his visible annoyance. If they can't reach Paludan – who received a suspended sentence in 2019 for a string of offences, including racism – they simply play loudly enough to drown out his voice or draw attention away from him.
Read the full article here.
Image: Free Jazz Against Paludan