World Protest Song Day

The value of words

In this 47-minute panel for World Protest Song Day, host Remco van Eijndhoven leads a conversation on the power of words, music and protest with Prof. Dr. Melanie Schiller, HATOON, and MaHA Eljak. Melanie sets the historical frame by reminding the audience: “Just the act of singing itself can also be protest already.” From folk traditions to the civil rights era and the Vietnam War, protest has always been tied to music. Today, she observes, protest also comes from the right: radical parties form rock bands, adapt anthems like L’Amour Toujours, and use festivals to build identity and community. Maha challenges how her work is labeled: “When I sing, it’s not politics, it’s our truth.” She speaks about writing straightforward songs such as Creepy Kingdom—directly criticizing Dutch politics—and Big Boy about Joe Biden. For her, lyrics in Dutch hit harder with audiences than English ones. She stresses that protest is often imposed as a label by outsiders, while for marginalized people it is lived reality. HATOON reflects on carrying responsibility as a refugee and activist’s daughter: “I never asked to be political, but the only way to cope is to use my talents.” She brings in Afrofuturism, showing how worldbuilding—imagining smells, colors and sounds of an alternative future—is itself a radical act of protest. The panel concludes that protest songs must be memorable, fun or angry, and inclusive enough to unite different groups. Protest, they agree, extends beyond lyrics into visuals, performance, and context. The session ends with Maha quoting Audre Lorde: “Your silence will not protect you.” About World Protest Song Day World Protest Song Day arose from the need to bring music, activism, and free expression together on one day, in one place. At a time when artists are increasingly facing controversy, censorship, or repression, we want to create a space where words, images, and sounds can resonate without restraint—raw, poetic, urgent, and engaged. The first edition took place on Friday, September 26, 2025, in Haarlem, but the ambition goes further: to grow into an annual platform—first local, then national, and ultimately international. A day to pause, listen, sing, shout, and reflect on the power of the protest voice in music and culture. World Protest Song Day is an initiative of Slachthuis Haarlem, organized in collaboration with the Haarlem Vinyl Festival. Slachthuis Haarlem is a progressive music factory and incubator where music, encounters, and social issues converge, with a strong focus on young talent and current stories.