Pink Floyd guitarist Roger Waters was among the hundreds of people who joined protests in London demanding the release of jailed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Saturday, 22 February. In a speech to the crowd, the musician attempted to put Assange’s persecution in a global context, making references to India’s recently amended Citizenship Act as well as protests in Chile, Lebanon, Colombia, Bolivia, Argentina and France.
“Julian is why we are here today, but this is no parochial protest. We are today part of a global movement, a global movement that might be the beginning of the global enlightenment that this fragile planet so desperately needs,” he said. Waters also read out an English translation of Aamir Aziz’s ‘Sab Yaad Rakha Jayega’, introducing him as “a young poet and activist in Delhi involved in the fight against Modi and his fascist racist Citizenship law.”
Watch the video here:
He recited:
“Kill us, we will become ghosts and write
of your killings, with all the evidence.
You write jokes in court;
We will write ‘justice’ on the walls.
We will speak so loudly that even the deaf will hear.
We will write so clearly that even the blind will read.
You write ‘injustice’ on the earth;
We will write ‘revolution’ in the sky.
Everything will be remembered;
Everything recorded.”
A writer, actor and musician with a degree in civil engineering, Aamir Aziz is best known for his protest song ‘Achhe Din Blues’. Sung in the style of American folk musicians, the song has over 200,000 views on YouTube since its release in March last year.
Watch the original video here:
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