A popular song was controversially played at a Berlin Senate event. Mayor Kai Wegner announced consequences for the DJ involved after the uproar.
A DJ is facing consequences after playing a controversial version of the song “L’amour toujours” at a Senate party held at Berlin’s Red City Hall. Berlin’s governing mayor, Kai Wegner, expressed his anger over the incident, which sparked widespread outrage among guests. According to reports from the newspaper Berliner Tagesspiegel, the song, which has been co-opted by far-right groups, was played during the event, leading to severe backlash.
Wegner, a CDU politician, responded to the incident by stating, “Such music has no place in the Red City Hall – not this year, nor next year,” as quoted in the newspaper B.Z.. Although the mayor was not present in the basement where the song was played, he promised that the DJ would face consequences, adding, “We don’t have to hire the same DJ every year.”
Song’s far-right links spark outrage
The controversial incident took place at a festival meant to celebrate internationalism, diversity, unity, and freedom. According to Senate spokesperson Christine Richter, the song “L’amour toujours” has become a recognizable symbol for the far-right, making its inclusion in the event highly inappropriate. She emphasized, “This action by the DJ stands in direct contrast to the values we were celebrating. It was absolutely tasteless.”
Richter also confirmed that the Senate would no longer work with the DJ in future events and that more detailed reviews of music playlists would be conducted moving forward. She added, “We will take steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Guests leave in protest, empty dance floor
Reports first surfaced in the Tagesspiegel newsletter “Checkpoint,” which detailed how the song triggered boos from the crowd, with many guests, including former Kreuzberg mayor Monika Herrmann, leaving the event in protest. Herrmann was quoted saying, “This is completely unacceptable.” Despite the criticism, the DJ defended his choice, stating, “This is a good song, and I won’t let Nazis ruin it.” However, after the incident, the dance floor remained empty.
“L’amour toujours,” by Italian DJ Gigi D’Agostino, has been repeatedly misused by far-right groups to promote xenophobic slogans. Earlier this year, outrage erupted over a video from a bar on the island of Sylt, where patrons were filmed singing racist chants to the song’s melody. This has led to debates over banning the track, with some pushing for tighter restrictions on its use in public events.
