As France burns amid protests and unrest, a haunting song from Suzanne Collins’s dystopian novel series The Hunger Games has taken on a real-world resonance. The Estelle Violoncelle Association and the New World Orchestra performed ‘The Hanging Tree’ during what organisers described as an authorised concert, even as tear gas grenades were fired nearby.
A video shared by the Estelle Violoncelle Association on Instagram shows the musicians continuing to play as their eyes water from exposure to tear gas. The sound of grenades can also be heard in the background. Watch the video here: Sharing the video, the association wrote, “Music against (tear gas) fire. The performance comes amid protests and unrest in France, where demonstrations have drawn attention to issues including the rising cost of living and public services.
Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin said that more than 2,513 people have been arrested nationwide since this weekend, with 67 sentenced to prison and “dozens” of criminal cases opened, according to AFP.
The stir had begun four weeks earlier, when students took to the streets to demand better conditions in their schools. Nearly half a million people marched across France on Saturday to protest – which turned violent in some parts, according to local media reports.
Police responses to demonstrations, including the use of tear gas to disperse crowds, have also come under scrutiny. As punishment for a past rebellion, the Capitol organises the annual Hunger Games, forcing children from each district to fight to the death in a televised spectacle. The story follows Katniss Everdeen, who volunteers to take her younger sister Prim’s place in the Games. Her defiance of the Capitol’s rules makes her an unwilling symbol of rebellion. As unrest spreads across Panem, Katniss becomes the face of a growing resistance movement against the authoritarian regime. The gesture illustrates how a symbol originating in a fictional dystopia can acquire political significance in real life, allowing protesters to express dissent and solidarity. ‘The Hanging Tree’, performed by the orchestra in France, is another symbol of resistance associated with The Hunger Games. The song features in ‘Mockingjay’, the third book in the original trilogy, and also appears in the prequel, ‘The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’. A dark folk ballad, it depicts a man calling out to his lover as he faces death. In the prequel, the song is associated with Lucy Gray Baird, who performs it after witnessing the execution of a rebel. Its political undertones and association with rebellion make it a powerful symbol within the story. From the three-finger salute to ‘The Hanging Tree’, The Hunger Games shows how symbols of resistance can escape the fictional worlds that created them. What began as expressions of defiance in a dystopian story have since become rallying cries in real-world movements, bringing protesters together against authority and oppression. In France, the orchestra’s performance of ‘The Hanging Tree’ amid tear gas offered a striking reminder of how art can become an act of resistance, turning a song about rebellion into a call for solidarity.
Interior minister Laurent Nuñez told the Senate that police had opened internal investigations into 36 allegations of violence by officers against demonstrators, according to The Guardian. Suzanne Collins’s ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy comprises ‘The Hunger Games’ (2008), ‘Catching Fire’ (2009) and ‘Mockingjay’ (2010). The books are set in Panem, a dystopian nation ruled by the wealthy and authoritarian Capitol, which exercises control over 12 districts – each involved in a different trade. In February 2021, medical workers and protesters in Myanmar also adopted the three-finger salute to oppose the military coup that overthrew the elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.
The complaints include claims that four children were “mutilated” by explosive weapons, six people sustained “significant injuries”, and other incidents involved physical assaults, insults and alleged sexual assault.
In ‘The Hunger Games’, the three-finger salute initially serves as a gesture of gratitude, admiration and farewell. As the series progresses, the gesture takes on a wider political meaning, becoming a symbol of resistance against the Capitol. The salute has since been adopted by protesters in real life, most notably in Thailand and Myanmar. The gesture subsequently became a recognisable symbol of anti-coup resistance.
When Katniss volunteers for the Games in place of her sister, residents of District 12 use it to express their respect and solidarity with her. In Thailand, demonstrators began using the gesture after the military coup in May 2014 to express opposition to military rule.
Authorities warned that people using the salute at political gatherings could face arrest, according to The Guardian.
