2024-01-19 16:48:00
As of: January 19, 2024 6:57 p.m
Under the motto “Hamburg stands up – once morest right-wing extremism and neo-Nazi networks” tens of thousands of people demonstrated on the Jungfernstieg on Friday followingnoon. The organizers ended the rally early for security reasons.
The background to the demolition is that it was too crowded on Jungfernstieg and rescue workers might no longer get through. In the end, according to the police, 50,000 participants came, but due to the crowds it was difficult to estimate the number. According to DGB Hamburg, which was one of the organizers of the rally, 80,000 people came. SPD politician Kazim Abaci from the Entrepreneurs Without Borders association, which also co-organized the demo, even spoke of 130,000 participants. Around 10,000 were expected.
A broad alliance of trade unions, churches, cultural workers, business associations, parties and clubs called for the rally. The background to the demo was the secret meeting between right-wing extremists, including AfD officials, in Potsdam.
Tschentscher attacks AfD in his speech
At the beginning of the rally, Hamburg’s mayor Peter Tschentscher (SPD) also spoke to the demonstrators on a stage in front of the Europa Passage. He sharply attacked the AfD. “The message to the AfD and its right-wing networks is: We are the majority and we are strong because we are united and because we are determined not to let our country and our democracy be destroyed a second time following 1945.”
When the Potsdam meeting became known, we learned “that right-wing radicals in Germany are planning a coup and a systematic so-called remigration of millions of our country’s citizens,” he said. This shows how quickly populism can turn into anti-constitutional, democracy and people-contemptuous activities. Even the word remigration is an outrageous trivialization, Tschentscher continued. “They want deportation. They want to turn back time, back to a time of hate and violence,” he said.
Many demonstrators had signs with them that said things like “colorful troops instead of brown soup” or “never once more is now.” In addition to other speakers, the bands Meute and Kettcar as well as the musician Stefan Gwildis should also be on stage.
Broad support in the run-up to the rally
The demonstration was organized by the Entrepreneurs Without Borders association, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Northern Germany and the DGB Hamburg. A lot of support also came from politics. The SPD parliamentary group called on all Hamburg residents to take part in the demonstration – as did the Greens and the Left. Celebrities such as Hamburg honorary citizens Udo Lindenberg and John Neumeier also supported the demo. Also the President of FC St. Pauli, Oke Göttlich, as well as representatives of the Hamburg Sports Association. FC St. Pauli, the HSV Supporters Club and several amateur clubs had also called for demonstrations once morest right-wing agitation.
The demo was originally supposed to take place on the town hall market
The rally was originally supposed to take place at the nearby town hall market. But the AfD parliamentary group announced a parliamentary group meeting in the Hamburg parliament at short notice for Friday. According to the citizens, the meeting in the town hall brings into effect the Hamburg ban district law, which prohibits meetings and demonstrations within a radius of 350 meters from parliament. The organizers of the rally said that this attack by the AfD was not surprising: “The AfD is exploiting democratic instruments to undermine basic rights. It shows once once more that it despises democracy.”
AfD rejects allegations
The AfD rejected this. “Just as the demonstrators have the right to assemble, our MPs, freely elected by the people, also have the right to assemble as a group at any time to prepare and discuss their parliamentary work,” Parliamentary Secretary Krzysztof Walczak said on Thursday . The AfD is not interested in restricting freedom of assembly. In the event of a collision between the two assemblies, the law clearly stipulates that parliament has priority over the street.
Protests are taking place nationwide
In view of the secret meeting in Potsdam, which was first reported by the research network “Correctiv”, thousands of people nationwide have already protested once morest plans to denaturalize people with a migration background. On Friday, thousands of people also took to the streets in Kiel. Numerous further demonstrations are planned for the weekend in Lower Saxony and Bremen, for example. In Schleswig-Holstein, too, people in many places want to show their colors once morest right-wing extremism.
Further information
Survivors of the Holocaust have been warning for years regarding a resurgence of right-wing extremist tendencies such as those now caused by the AfD. more
Aster Oberreit from Hamburg is frightened by so-called remigration plans from right-wing extremists. She hopes that society doesn’t just react to outrage. more
Thousands are currently demonstrating once morest the AfD and a well-known plan for “remigration”. What drives the people who take to the streets once morest it? more
MPs from the SPD, the Greens and the Left called for a ban on the AfD to be examined. Interior Senator Grote expressed skepticism. (01/17/2024) more
After a secret meeting of right-wing extremists with AfD participation, the protest is growing. In Hamburg there was a demonstration in front of the AfD party headquarters. (01/13/2024) more
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NDR 90.3 | NDR 90.3 Current | 01/19/2024 | 7:00 p.m
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