Meaning
The oppressive establishment — Western colonial and capitalist society, its institutions, and, most pointedly, the police. In Rastafari thought, Babylon is the whole corrupt system that enslaves the mind and body of the people, the wicked worldly order set against Zion and the righteous, and to 'chant down Babylon' is to denounce and resist it. Drawn from the Bible's Babylon of captivity and sin, the word is one of the central concepts of Rastafari and reggae, naming the force of oppression in all its forms, from the policeman to the whole machinery of the state.
Examples
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Babylon a pull up pon di corner again.
The police are stopping people on the corner again.
'Babylon' very commonly refers specifically to the police.
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Mi nah bow to Babylon system.
I won't submit to the Babylon system.
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Chant down Babylon.
Speak out to bring down the oppressive system.
A well-known Rastafari and reggae phrase.
Origin
From the ancient city of Babylon, which held the Hebrews in captivity in the Bible. Rastafari adopted it as a symbol for modern systems of oppression and exile.
How it’s used
Carries strong political and spiritual weight. The narrower use for 'police' is extremely common in Jamaica and in the diaspora.