The Breaking the Borders antifascist hip hop festival returned to Glasgow for Volume III, four years after our last event in 2019. This time, Interregnum hosted MCs from Austria, Angola, Venezuela, Portugal, Greece, and of course England and Scotland.
Half a decade after Breaking the Borders Vol I, Interregnum has changed significantly. Yet we remain committed to the same ideas: antifascism, solidarity, equality, and creativity. Through this event, we aimed to build something that we consider of paramount importance: the connection between culture and the politics of solidarity, as a pathway towards our liberation.
Our main goal was to connect hip hop and anti-fascism, to loudly proclaim, as members of both the hip hop and the anti-fascist 'communities', that these two aspects of our lives can and should be united. Hip hop is more than music; it is a tool and a weapon. As participants of this culture, we have a responsibility to use it. Hip hop cannot stay silent when inequality and the far-right are on the rise all across the world. Despite the almost complete takeover of hip hop by big businesses, this culture remains firmly attached to its history of resistance.
Our aim was to organise a festival of resistance. At the same time, we wanted to express our solidarity with the people of Palestine against Israel's genocidal assault. We raised £310 for Adalah, an organisation that supports the human rights of Palestinians in the state of Israel.
Culture and political action don't have to necessarily be disconnected from each other. Political action does not only have to be the stereotypical, bureaucratic, disciplined domain of long-term, semi-professional 'activists'. It doesn't have to be inaccessible. Political action is what we make it; therefore, one of our aims was to expand the reach of anti-fascism to the wider community through good music.
A connected aim was to showcase that, not only is it possible to have hip hop that is not sexist, homophobic, or transphobic, but also that people are able to do it without sacrificing anything in terms of lyricism or skill. In that sense, we aimed to address problematic facets of the culture we love and have been active in for years. We are proud to have created a space where everyone can enjoy the music that we love.
This event would not have happened without the combined efforts of many people. Nothing was done for profit; everything was done to support our ideas and each other. We didn't have any financial help from charities, NGOs, or other well-wishers. We demonstrated that, with solidarity and cooperation, we can create spaces of laughter, expression and freedom, even if at this stage they only last for a few hours.
We want to thank all of the artists that supported us and helped us make this night a reality, as well as the people who attended and demonstrated their solidarity by donating to Adalah.
Below are some of the best photographs that people sent us. We will announce volumes IV and V of Breaking the Borders very soon. In the meantime, please consider donating to support the running costs of the website. See you soon!
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