The CDU prime ministers speak of this as an “encouraging sign”, while the head of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution considers it “encouraging”: there is much praise for the demonstrations against right-wing extremism.
Representatives of politics and society welcomed the numerous demonstrations against right-wing extremism in German cities. CDU Prime Ministers of North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein Hendrik Wüst and Daniel Günther praised the protests as an “encouraging sign” for democracy, tolerance and civil courage. “Today, tens of thousands of people across North Rhine-Westphalia demonstrate moral courage,” Wüst told “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland”. The participants demonstrated peacefully for a cosmopolitan Germany and made it clear that there was no place for arsonists.
“The demonstrations of the last few days, the tens of thousands of people on the streets defending our democracy, are an encouraging sign,” Günther told the newspaper. “There is no longer an excuse to look away and not raise your voice against right-wing extremism. We all have to stand up and protect and defend our democracy and our values”, emphasized the head of the country.
Demonstrations against right-wing extremism
Polyphonic, noisy and colorful
Merz: Stop sign against extremism
CDU leader Friedrich Merz made similar comments. “It is very encouraging that thousands of people across Germany are demonstrating peacefully against right-wing extremism,” his team wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Together we are showing a stop sign against all forms of extremism and racism, against hatred, unrest and the forgetting of history.”
Haldenwang warns of danger to democracy
The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, Thomas Haldenwang, told the “Westdeutsche Zeitung”: “It would be desirable for the silent majority of our population to take a clear stand against extremism and anti-Semitism.” Fortunately, many people are currently speaking out against this.
Haldenwang warned of the danger to democracy in Germany arising from several developments. All centrist democratic parties have now recognized the seriousness of the situation, said the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution. “You can also see this in the fact that the topic of dealing with the AfD is being discussed much more intensely than it was a few months ago.” The ban on the AfD party is now being discussed.
Schuster: Pleased that the middle of society is rising up
The president of the Central Council of Jews, Josef Schuster, described the demonstrations as an “important signal.” “I am very pleased that the middle of society is standing up,” Schuster told the “Augsburger Allgemeine”. “I've always had the feeling that you see the AfD's predictions and election results, but that doesn't draw anyone away from the stove,” Schuster said. This worried him. “That's why I'm pleased when people take to the streets now and express their dissatisfaction.”
The federal government's anti-Semitism commissioner, Felix Klein, was concerned about an erosion of democratic values, given the high poll numbers for the AfD. “It is precisely on this fertile ground that Jew-hatred thrives,” he told the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung.” Even the observation of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution apparently does not stop many people from voting for the AfD.
Heil calls for more support from the economy
Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil (SPD) called for more support from companies in light of current developments. “I am happy with every business representative who, like BDI President Rußwurm, takes a clear stance against the AfD and the Nazis,” Heil told the “Rheinische Post”. “We are an open society and our economic success is based on this”, emphasized the minister. The German economy is internationally interconnected. “This is why we cannot allow racism and nationalism.”
Heil described the AfD as a “locational risk” and a party “that not only attacks our democracy, but also harms our country economically and socially.” The qualified experts that Germany urgently needs would only come if they were certain that they would not be excluded or even threatened.
Conflict researcher: traffic lights need to react
According to Bielefeld conflict researcher Andreas Zick, the middle part of the population has already woken up. Three factors are important for people to take to the streets, he told Deutschlandfunk: “Motivation, opportunity and shared identification.” This is here now. At the same time, in his opinion, expectations regarding the protests should not be exceeded. But for a democracy it is important that a signal is sent continuously.
The conflict researcher also sees the demonstrations as a challenge to the traffic light government. The latter must react to the demonstrations, parties and politicians must make an offer to the people. Traffic light parties are currently unable to find a way to positively regulate conflicts within the coalition.
Faeser: Memories of the Wannsee Conference
Yesterday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz had already supported the protesters. In a video speech, he said that everyone in Germany is called to take a clear stand in favor of tolerance, cohesion and democracy. He compared the distribution plans of right-wing radicals with the racial ideology of the National Socialists. “If there is one thing that should never again take place in Germany, then it is the ethno-racial ideology of the National Socialists.”
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser also expressed similar associations: “This involuntarily brings back memories of the terrible Wannsee conference,” the SPD politician told the Funke media group. She doesn't want to equate the two. “But what is hidden behind harmless-sounding terms like ‘remigration’ is the idea of expelling and deporting people en masse because of their ethnic origin or their political views.”
Faeser is skeptical about the AfD ban. “Our Constitution rightly provides for this strongest instrument of defensive democracy as a last resort.” There are very high obstacles. Given the circumstances, no one can rule this out. However, this is not a means in political debate. “If people turn to such a party, we must ensure that these people return to democratic parties.”
Lots of demonstrations over the weekend
In recent days, tens of thousands of people across the country have taken to the streets against right-wing extremism and racism. One of the biggest demonstrations took place in Hamburg on Friday. It had to be canceled because many more people showed up than expected. The police spoke of 50 thousand participants, the organizers of 80 thousand. Only 10,000 participants were registered.
In Münster, 20,000 people responded to a call to demonstrate on Friday, and in Bochum more than 10,000 people took to the streets.
Jim-Bob Nickschas, ARD Berlin, tagesschau, January 20, 2024 1:42 pm