Thousands of protesters in France have adopted the irreverent lyrics of a 1980s Parisian punk rock band as a slogan during demonstrations against a far-right political party that could be voted into power in Sunday's elections, according to reports.
The words from Bérurier Noir's 1985 song Porcherie - "La jeunesse emmerde le Front national" - can be heard chanted at rallies, streamed on social media and shouted by political leaders. It has even appeared on a badge worn by actress Marion Cotillard, the Guardian reported.
François Guillemot told the outlet that the song he recorded nearly 40 years ago with his band was in response to the far-right National Party then making gains in the European parliamentary elections.
Now known as the National Rally, the party supports a nationalist, anti-immigration agenda, and polls show it has a good chance to make sizable gains in the election.
Asked what the slogan means, Guillemot said one translation would be "the kids annoy the Front National."
But he said it would be more accurate to say the word emmerder in the song's context would mean "to tell someone to f--k off."
"As far as the kids are concerned, the Front National can f--k right off," Guillemot told the Guardian.
He said when the band wrote the song it echoed their view of the "world as a whole," as a porcherie, meaning pigsty,"full of violence, wars and oppression" rather than the rise of the far-right.
"It really developed into a political statement at our concerts," he said.
Guillemot said the song has enjoyed a resurgence because its "vitality has become the point: it is a kind of virus to counter the virus of National Rally."
"I see a lot of young people, especially young women,use the song or the slogan on social media to say they don't want a far-right party in government managing France," he said.
