Large Anti-Right Demonstration in Munich: An Overview of Protests Against Right-Wing Extremism

2024-01-21 13:52:30

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    According to publications by the research network Correctiv, several demonstrations once morest the right are taking place in Bavaria – the largest in Munich.

    Update from January 21st, 3:26 p.m.: There is still little progress on Ludwigstrasse, the demo is only breaking up very slowly. The participants, according to our reporter a colorful mix of young and old, remain calm and the mood is relaxed.

    It is still unclear how many people ultimately took part in the demonstration, or at least tried to. The police speak of at least 80,000 people, the event management of 250,000 people.

    Because there were too many people – the organizer said there were 250,000 on stage – the anti-right demonstration in Munich had to be stopped for security reasons. © Sven Hoppe/dpa

    Update from January 21st, 3:22 p.m.: The police are calling on people on X (formerly Twitter) to stop coming to the victory gate for safety reasons. Accordingly, there are still a lot of participants in the large anti-right demonstration there.

    Update from January 21st, 3:14 p.m.: The outflow of demonstrators is proving difficult, reports our reporter on site. There is hardly any progress along the entire length from Münchner Freiheit to Odeonsplatz. Over the course of the event and even now, many participants reported network problems – there seems to be an overload here.

    Update from January 21st, 2:58 p.m.: The large demonstration once morest the right in Munich was canceled. The organizer announced on stage that 250,000 people had followed the call of the various organizations and that the protest march had to be stopped. When the organizer announced the number of participants, cheers erupted among the demo participants. Officials say at least 80,000 people wanted to join the protest march. It is said that their safety might no longer be guaranteed.

    Demo in Munich canceled – too many participants

    The demo was originally planned as a running demonstration – but since so many people would have filled the street between Münchner Freiheit and Odeonsplatz, progress was no longer possible.

    Update from January 21st, 2:51 p.m.: According to various reports, the demonstration in Munich is regarding to be canceled – too many people have joined the protest march. Discussions are currently underway with the organizer. According to this, at least 80,000 people came to the large demonstration once morest the right.

    Update from January 21st, 2:50 p.m.: The demonstration is even larger than the police’s assessment, which has already been revised upwards. From Münchner Freiheit to Odeonsplatz, everything is full of people, reports one of our reporters on site.

    From Odeonsplatz to Siegestor – Ludwigstrasse in Munich belongs to the demonstration once morest the right on Sunday followingnoon. © ck

    Update from January 21st, 2:45 p.m.: Ludwigstrasse is closed – and according to our reporters on site, the police are already closing access roads. For example, Veterinärstrasse is closed, and hundreds of people are walking back and forth on Kaulbachstrasse, which runs parallel to Ludwigstrasse, trying to find their way to the demonstration.

    Large demonstration once morest the right starts in Munich – with tens of thousands of participants

    Update from January 21st, 2:15 p.m.: The demo has started. As in the other cities before, the crowd chanted “All of Munich hates the AfD”, of course focusing on the state capital. The protesters expressed their opinions with numerous posters and turned once morest right-wing extremist ideas: “Remigrate to your knees,” “Let us learn from history instead of repeating it,” “No tolerance for intolerance,” “AfD – A nightmare for Germany” and “Brown bottles do not belong in the waste glass container in the Bundestag” might be read there, among other things.

    Update from January 21st, 1:52 p.m.: The demo is regarding to begin at the Siegestor in Munich. It is currently difficult to say how many people will take part. But our reporters on site report that the subways are completely overcrowded and many people are now setting off on foot to join the demonstration.

    Shortly before the start of the demonstration once morest the right in Munich, the city center is bursting at the seams. The subways are completely overcrowded and many people make their way towards Siegestor on foot. © Asya Fröhlich / ck / Merkur collage

    Large demonstration once morest the right in Munich: voices from local politics

    Christian Köning, parliamentary group and party leader of the Munich SPD, also commented on the event:

    “These days we are seeing how right-wing extremists are attacking democracy – and are also receiving a lot of support. We all have friends, neighbors, partners, acquaintances with a migration background who would be affected by the diabolical resettlement plans. The Munich SPD is 155 years old this year and today, as on every day of its history, it stands for democracy, justice, respect and cohesion – and once morest the activities of the Nazis.

    Update from January 21st, 1:30 p.m.: The large demonstration begins in half an hour. Katharina Schulze, parliamentary group leader of the Greens in the Bavarian state parliament, told our editorial team in advance: “The images of the last few days from the many large and small cities with the tens of thousands of people taking to the streets for democracy give me courage. Today it’s Munich’s turn and I’m sure we’ll send a clear signal here too: no to hate and agitation, yes to democracy and diversity.”

    In many German cities, tens of thousands of people have already taken to the streets to demonstrate once morest the AfD and right-wing extremism. A major rally will also take place in Munich on Sunday. What images will the Bavarian capital deliver? © picture alliance/dpa | –

    Update from January 21st, 12 p.m.: Two hours left until the big demonstration once morest the right in Munich. It starts at 2 p.m. at the Siegestor with the kick-off rally. If you want to make a statement in terms of content and visuals at the demo, you can get the print edition tz buy. There is a full-page poster: “Red card once morest the right”. The tz is currently available at newspaper boxes in the city today.

    The tz page “Red card once morest the right” © Uli Heichele

    Probably more people than expected at the Munich demonstration once morest the right

    Update from January 21st, 10:54 a.m.: Participation in the demonstrations once morest right-wing extremism across Germany exceeds expectations – in Munich, too, the emergency services are preparing for more people than initially expected. “25,000 plus X,” said a police spokeswoman on Sunday morning. In the middle of the week, the city was still expecting 10,000 to 20,000 people at the demonstration, which will take place on Sunday followingnoon. The motto is “Together once morest the right”. On Saturday, the police expected up to 25,000 participants.

    “It is high time that we as a society stand up together for our democracy and diversity!” said the organizers. “We all have to stand up now once morest right-wing extremism, we have to work together once morest the ongoing developments that have posed a real threat to our democracy, not just since the secret meeting uncovered by Corretiv.”

    The protests are spurred, among other things, by the revelations by the Correctiv research center regarding a meeting of right-wing extremists on November 25, 2023, in which AfD politicians as well as individual members of the CDU and the very conservative Values ​​Union took part. Since then, there have been numerous demonstrations across the country, including in the Free State. In Nuremberg alone, around 15,000 people took to the streets on Saturday. Many participants used self-designed posters to promote coexistence in Germany. Chants shouted: “The whole of Nuremberg hates the AfD!” In addition to Munich, events in Bavaria were also planned for Sunday in Regensburg and Bad Tölz, and there were to be further demonstrations nationwide in Berlin, Cologne, Leipzig and Cottbus.

    Munich is preparing for a large demonstration once morest the right

    Update from January 21st, 9:05 a.m.: A number of streets around Leopoldstrasse and Ludwigstrasse are already closed, as a photo from on site shows. You can see that a lot of people are expected.

    A number of streets around Leopoldstrasse and Ludwigstrasse are already closed. © Uli Heichele

    Tens of thousands expected: large demonstration once morest the right in Munich – route not planned by chance

    First report from January 21st, 8 a.m.: Munich – Munich is setting an example: A large demonstration is planned on Sunday (January 21st) under the motto “Together once morest the right – for democracy and diversity”. A broad alliance from civil society has called for this – up to 30,000 participants are expected. It starts at 2 p.m. at the Siegestor with a half-hour kick-off rally.

    Demo once morest the right in Munich: The start and finish is the winning goal

    The route then leads from Siegestor along Leopoldstrasse via Münchner Freiheit to Ungererstrasse, then on to Potsdamer Strasse and back along Leopoldstrasse back to Siegestor. The final rally will take place there. There is also musical support: the rapper Ebow and the Berlin band Kafvka will be performing.

    The route is not planned by chance: the right-wing Danubia fraternity is located on Potsdamer Straße, and the demonstrators will pass by. The fraternity is observed by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as a right-wing extremist group.

    The background to the demonstration once morest the right is a publication by the research network Correctiv from January 10th: This reported on a meeting of high-ranking AfD politicians, entrepreneurs and neo-Nazis who planned to expel millions of people with a migrant background from Germany.

    (Our Munich newsletter regularly informs you regarding all important stories from the Isar metropolis. Register here.)

    Demonstrations once morest the right are taking place all over Germany

    Not only in Munich, but throughout Germany, demos and rallies for democracy and diversity are being held due to the publication of Correctiv. In Nuremberg, Erlangen, Regensburg, Bayreuth, Würzburg, Hamburg, Dortmund, Halle and Erfurt, among others, people are taking a stand once morest the right.

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