South African hardcore and punk community members have come together for MORE MOSH, LESS HATE, a limited-edition merchandise campaign taking a stand against xenophobia and other forms of bigotry. The initiative comes in response to reports of xenophobic attacks on undocumented migrants during recent demonstrations calling for stricter immigration enforcement, as well as conversations with people affected by the violence.
The initiative brings together members of Cape Town and South Africa’s wider underground music community, including metallic hardcore band Peasant, hardcore punk and rock ‘n’ roll outfit The Talon, DIY music collective Cape Town Metal Realm (CTMR) and independent screen-printing studio Workhorse Studios. Together, the groups represent different corners of the local punk, hardcore, metal and alternative scenes, united around the campaign’s message of inclusion and opposition to racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia and other forms of bigotry.
The collective says it is using its platforms to make clear that while it supports the constitutional right to protest, that right does not extend to violence against others. The campaign centres on limited-edition MORE MOSH, LESS HATE T-shirts, with all proceeds going to the Scalabrini Centre of Cape Town and no profit being generated by the organisers. The non-profit provides legal advice, welfare, development and advocacy programmes to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, as well as women, children and vulnerable South Africans.
The collective says its position is rooted in hardcore’s longstanding commitment to standing with oppressed people, while making an explicit distinction between supporting local communities and targeting migrants. “We stand with all oppressed people, and that includes local South Africans,” the collective says. “What we don’t stand for is xenophobia, plain and simple.”
The limited-edition T-shirts are available via pre-order through the MORE MOSH, LESS HATE webstore, with delivery available to customers’ homes or their nearest Pudo locker. The collective says the campaign is ultimately about putting the values of the hardcore community into practice, using the scene’s platforms and resources to support people experiencing marginalisation, while making space for protest without allowing that protest to become another form of oppression.
