BY VK SHASHIKUMAR
The Italian iconic folk tune – “Bella Ciao” – featured in the popular Netflix series La Casa de Papel aka Money Heist has once again been resuscitated as new 21st Century “resistance” anthem. During World War II, “Bella Ciao” (Goodbye Beautiful) was the song of Freedom for the partisans fighting the fascists. The Labour Day celebrations on May 1st 2020 witnessed several Maoist ‘actions’ across the world with “Bella Ciao” playing in the background.
The above video was posted by a pro-Maoist online publication in Chile, Periódico El Pueblo, as a May 1st tribute with this quote from the charismatic founder of the Chilean workers movement, Luis Emilio Recabarren, who transformed the Socialist Workers Party into the Communist Party of Chile in 1922: “We want to repeat once again to our brethren living in misery that we shouldn’t expect any empathy from from the wealthy classes, who govern us, who oppress and exploit us. Instead we should galvanise from within our ranks a force, from within our own people, a united, organised and educated force which will direct our work in the future.”
The video shows four overground Maoist sympathisers, wearing red face scarfs, taking “action” to restore the monument dedicated to Recabarren in the Almagro Park in Santiago, Chile. They can be seen placing red flags and a clear and direct message: “Retake Recabarren! Down with revisionism!” The song playing in the backdrop of this action is “Bella Ciao”!
The Italian ‘resistance’ folk song, revived by Money Heist has captured the popular imagination of Chilean protesters. Over the past 6 months, Chile has witnessed a tumultuous outpouring of protests against Sebastián Piñera’s right-wing government which has dithered on implementing a countrywide lockdown and refused to announce social protection measures, including rent morataria and freezing of debt and mortgage payments. The government has not even made Covid-19 testing freely available or at a discounted rate.
Riding on the inspiring tunes of “Bella Ciao”, a groundswell of support for Maoism is spreading, strengthened by unempathetic responses of Governments across Latin America and Europe to the troubles faced by working class who feel abandoned by their governments in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic.
2020 will be remembered as a landmark year for many reasons because of the faultlines in society, business and governance induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. One of the faultlines is overwhelming disenchantment in society over the disproportionate impact of the pandemic related lockdowns and loss of jobs.
Unemployment, uncertainty about social security and livelihood and the feeling of disenfranchisement is catalysing a rapid growth of Maoism across the world.
A review of Maoist actions across the world on Labour Day, May 1st, reveals that deep faultlines have become entrenched in society. A new global ideological battle might take centre stage – Extreme Maoism versus Excessive Capitalism – if governments across the world don’t take corrective action to usher in Conscious Capitalism, which focuses on ‘good for all’ purposes beyond profit.
This year 17 Maoist parties and organisations across the world signed the International May Day declaration.
Here’s snap shot of pictures and text released by the Germany based “Internet Platform for the Development of the Revolutionary Movement”
Note: Wherever the text below is under quotes, the source from where the content has been reproduced in toto is cited.
Norway: “In Kristiansand and Trondheim activists torched yankee-banner. In Thornæsparken revolutionaries gathered in front of the statue of Knut Olai Thornæs. In the evening activists went to Kampen in Oslo to honor Ottar Lie. A banner “Proletarians of all countries, unite!” was hung up near a manifestation in Grønland. The square was decorated with red flags, flyers, protective masks and gloves were distributed. In Bergen revolutionaries stood with a banner “Combatand resist”, speeches were held and the Internationale was sung. In Tromsø slogans were painted.”
Sourced from:
https://tjen-folket.no/index.php/2020/05/03/nyheter-og-rapporter-fra-1-mai-oppdateres/
Sweden: “Comrades in four different cities made banner as tribute to the people’s wars. The comrades in Gothenburg hung up their banner in central Gothenburg. In Uppsala, the banner was hung over a well-traveled cycle path. In Eskilstuna, the banner was hung in a proletarian residential area. In Stockholm, comrades participated in a protest against the Indian government’s war against the people.”
Sourced from:
http://kommunisten.nu/?p=9839
Finland: “Revolutionaries in the cities of Turku and Tampere did rallies at the memorials of the martyrs of the 1918 Revolution, defying the coronavirus. In Turku banners were hung up against the state of emergency and against the attemp to put the burden on the working class.”
Sourced from:
https://punalippu.noblogs.org/post/2020/05/04/proletariaatin-kansainvalisen-paivan-1-5-raportti-turusta-ja-tampereelta/
Denmark: “Proletarian revolutionaries took the streets despite the reactionary assembly ban. They spread propaganda, flyer were distributed and the red banner with the golden hammer and sickle was hoisted.”
Sourced from:
https://socialistiskrevolution.wordpress.com/2020/05/02/1-maj-2020-proletariske-revolutionaere-gar-pa-gaden-trods-det-reaktionaere-forsamlingsforbud/
France: “Young Revolutionaries carried out actions throughout the country with the release of banners and by posting messages on the windows, in Lyon, Saint-Étienne, Paris, Aubervilliers, Nantes, Clermont-Ferrand, Bordeaux, Caen, Rennes, but also in the countryside, in the Lot et Garonne.”
Sourced from:
https://www.causedupeuple.info/2020/05/01/etat-francais-de-multiples-actions-des-jeunes-revolutionnaires-pour-le-1er-mai/
Chile: “A significant tribute to Luis Emilio Recabarren, leader of the working class in Chile and founder of the Communist Party of Chile was made in Santiago. Diverse actions were carried out throughout the country in La Granja, La Florida, Cerro Navia, Los Héroes, La Pincoya (Huechuraba), Villa Olímpica (Ñuñoa), Valparaíso, San Felipe, Talcahuano, Cañete, Tierras Blancas and Antofagasta. The protests held in Santiago, especially at Plaza Dignidad, in Valparaíso, Talcahuano and Cañete, were disproportionately repressed.”
Sourced from:
https://youtu.be/96mO_9lr34U
http://elpueblo.cl/2020/05/04/chile-dia-internacional-del-proletariado/
Brazil: “We received a declaration from the Workers League – Liga Operaria. It salutes the entire international proletariat, the oppressed masses from around the world, for our glorious day. Additionally the Coletivo Revolucionário Carcará (CRC) carried out a successful propaganda action in Fortaleza.”
Sourced from:
https://www.anovademocracia.com.br/noticias/13357-liga-operaria-viva-o-1-de-maio-classista-e-combativo
https://www.anovademocracia.com.br/noticias/13400-coletivo-carcara-promove-acao-pelo-1-de-maio-leia-a-declaracao
Austria: “Impressive Demonstrations were held in Innsbruck, Linz, Graz and Vienna. In different cities revolutionary greetings were sent from homes. In Linz banner were hung up at the Greiner-Werk. Throughout the country revolutionary forces and anti-fascist activists held spontaneous rallies and small demonstrations, organized cultural events with music and festive get-togethers with short speeches.”
Sourced from:
https://afainfoblatt.com/2020/05/04/wir-sind-das-bauvolk-der-kommenden-welt-ein-bericht-zum-1-mai-2020/
US: A March was held in Austin on Mayday, which took the streets despite police presence and dissausion by law enforcement. Apparently Trump-supporters also turned up to counter the Maoist gathering. Some minor skirmishes were reported, when the police stepped in to break the March. 
Turkey: “Demontration was carried out in Istanbul. It was thought of those who were murdered in Taksim on May 1, 1977 and, among other things, a monument to the TKP / ML militant Dursun Adabaş was erected. In Europe, Turkish comrades carried out actions in Nuremberg, Ulm, Stuttgart, Hanover, Wuppertal, Duisburg, Vienna, Linz, Innsbruck, Zurich, Basel, Bern, Liège, Rotterdam, London and Athens.”
Sourced from:
http://www.avrupahaber6.org/1-mayis-sehitleri-istanbulda-anildi.html
http://www.avrupahaber6.org/tum-yasaklara-ragmen-avrupa-sokaklarinda-devrimci-1-mayis-ruhu-yansidi-video.html
Mexico: “The first edition of Periódico Mural, a popular and democratic press, was published on May 1st of this year. In this first issue, the editors comment: “Our job is to be an agitator, an educator, an organizer and a collective grandstand …”
Sourced from:
https://solrojista.blogspot.com/2020/05/breves-iniciando-semana.html
Ecuador 
Germany: In the cities of Berlin, Bremen, Essen, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Karlsruhe and Weimar actions were carried out.
Across the world people in quarantine are sending a strong message to their Governments. “Bella Ciao” has become a song of solidarity and resilience.
And resistance.
This is the English translation of Bella Ciao, sourced from Genius:
One morning I awakened
Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye!
One morning I awakened
And I found the invader
Oh partisan carry me away
Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye!
Oh partisan carry me away
Because I feel death approaching
And if I die as a partisan
(And if I die on the mountain)
Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye!
And if I die as a partisan
(And if I die on the mountain)
Then you must bury me
Bury me up in the mountain
(And you have to bury me)
Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye!
Bury me up in the mountain
(And you have to bury me)
Under the shade of a beautiful flower
And the people who shall pass
(And all those who shall pass)
Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful! Bye! Bye!
And the people who shall pass
(And all those who shall pass)
Will tell me: “what a beautiful flower”
(And they will say: “what a beautiful flower”)
This is the flower of the partisan
(And this is the flower of the partisan)
Oh Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful, Goodbye beautiful!
Bye! Bye!
This is the flower of the partisan
(And this is the flower of the partisan)
Who died for freedom
The singing of “Bella Ciao” now symbolises a powerful voicing of resistance against an exploitative capitalist system that favours a few and dispossess, alienates, impoverishes significantly large numbers of hardworking working class folks. Money Heist has popularised the concept of “Join The Resistance” and, therefore, it isn’t a surprise that “Bella Ciao” has transformed into an inspirational appeal for a fairer economic system – one that is restorative, regenerative, distributive and cares for the well-being of all citizens and all forms of life on Earth.
(VK Shashikumar is an investigative journalist and a strategist. The opinions expressed by the author and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not reflect the opinions of Canary Trap or any employee thereof)
