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Duffy Square

D. Brooks
Language: English




[1962]
Parole e musica di tal D. Brooks, sconosciuto songwriter contributore del Broadside Magazine
Su Broadside # 2, marzo 1962.

Broadside # 2


Duffy Square è una porzione di Times Square a Manhattan, New York City.



Nel 1962 fu teatro di aspri scontri tra polizia e manifestanti che protestavano contro i test nucleari condotti dal governo USA nel Pacifico e in Nevada. L’esito sanguinoso della battaglia indusse le autorità a bandire ogni manifestazione dal centro della città, sicchè anche negli anni successivi, quando la tensione sociale era maggiormente acuita dall’inizio della guerra in Vietnam, Duffy Square fu luogo di grandi pestaggi di dimostranti ad opera della polizia, che aveva sempre la scusa dell’assembramento non autorizzato.

Times Square, 2014. Manifestanti contro la mancata incriminazione del poliziotto che uccise il giovane afroamericano Michael Brown.
Times Square, 2014. Manifestanti contro la mancata incriminazione del poliziotto che uccise il giovane afroamericano Michael Brown.
It was a cold and windy Saturday whwn we met at Duffy Square
Students, workers, families, young and old assembling there
To march and to demonstrate with silence and with song
To let President Kennedy know his A-Bomb tests are wrong

March on, march on
See our numbers growing strong
BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB!

We will march by the thousands, then many thousands more
Until we ban the Atom Bomb and put an end up war.

March on, march on
See our numbers growing strong
BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB!

At Father Duffy’s statue our line began to form
At first a scattered handful, than all at once a throng,
Before the captains of our line had led us around the square
There were five thousand people already marching there.

Our banners told our story as we marched side by side
World Peace our only safety there is no place to hide
And signs held high by little hands as the children moved along
Said please let us grow up to have children or our own.

March on, march on
See our numbers growing strong
BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB!

The storm clouds were gathering above us all around
But e greater storm was threatening down here on the ground
Massed police on foot and horseback, clubs ready in their hand
when a few young marchers set in the street, the police attack began.

March on, march on
See our numbers growing strong
BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB!

Mothers with their babies were knocked into the street
And men pulled children from beneath the charging horses’ feet.
There was brave Julian Beck, the kindliest sort of man
Be was beaten without mercy end thrown into a van.

March on, march on
See our numbers growing strong
BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB!

Father Francis Duffy, chaplain in the infantry
In that war to make the world safe for democracy
Oh, tell me, Father Duffy, did you ever see
Americans in uniform use such brutality.

The crowd was stunned, and than there rose a mighty cry of “Shame”
Wagner, Arm and Murphy you must share the blame
We pledged allegiance to our flag and vowed as we stood there
To meet in tenfold numbers next time by Duffy Square.

March on, march on
See our numbers growing strong
BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB! BAN THE BOMB!

Contributed by Bernart Bartleby - 2015/8/13 - 11:25




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