Documentation of over 150 protests against conspiracy ideology at „Montagsdemonstrationen“

If someone had told us at the end of 2021 that there would be protests against conspiracy ideology every Monday, for months, Berlin-wide - we would have laughed it off. Over 150 protests since Christmas 2021. A documentation by Berlin against Nazis.

Shortly before Christmas, on December 20, 2021, Berlin against Nazis reported live for the first time from a counter-protest at Pankow City Hall. This was followed in January and February by live reports from sometimes over 6 locations simultaneously. In these two months alone, 50 counter-protests took place on Mondays. On January 31, 2022, there were 17 parallel protests against conspiracy ideology spread across ten Berlin districts. Counter protests took place in all twelve districts in the first quarter of 2022. Here, we document highlights of the diverse, permanent, and genuinely local protests without claims to comprehensiveness.

The counter-protests took the so-called “Montagsspaziergänge” away from their targeted locations, enabled local residents to voice their joint opposition, and led to the emergence of new initiatives and alliances, which will continue to have an impact beyond the beginning of 2022. Committed members of Berlin’s civil society, who have been organizing protests against conspiracy ideological gatherings in Berlin since 2020, as well as the new local initiatives, alliances and Berlin-wide networks successfully opposed these demonstrations. They also launched various positioning activities through online petitions, statements, and newly developed poster campaigns. Berlin gegen Nazis provided information in 15 detailed reports from January 10 to April 18, presenting the various counter-protests, giving them visibility via live reports, and providing background information.

The unpleasant occasion for this great commitment was a renewed nationwide wave of protests from the conspiracy-ideological spectrum. This initially generated successful mobilizations for “Montagsdemonstrationen” in smaller towns and, from the end of December 2021, also enabled partly larger unannounced demonstrations in all of Berlin’s districts. At the peak of these gatherings in mid- to late January, up to 6,000 people took part each week Berlin-wide. Since mid-April, there have been only about 500 people at a time Berlin-wide.

Berlin against Nazis continues to cover the “Montagsdemonstrationen” even as the wave of protests has subsided. (see here) The initiative Gethsemanekiez and Omas gegen Rechts Berlin, which started the protests on December 20, 2021, continue to provide weekly opposition to the conspiracy ideological gatherings with their own events or support of other announced protests. A total overview of the 152 counter-protests (as of May 30, 2022) follows at the end of this report.

Residents take initiative at Gethsemanekirche

The newly formed residents’ initiative “Initiative Gethsemanekiez – Gemeinsinn leben. Demokratische Werte schützen” has been holding weekly rallies in front of Gethsemanekirche on Stargarder Straße since December 20, 2021, to defend itself against the conspiracy ideological appropriation of the historical site and the symbols of the peaceful revolution in the GDR. At the same time, the initiative was and is about solidarity in the neighborhood in and after the Covid pandemic.

Photos: Berlin gegen Nazis, Initiative Gethsemanekiez

Up until April, each rally had its own slogan. The rallies have become a place for political discussion in the neighborhood. The protest against the conspiracy-ideological “Montagsdemonstrationen” did not remain the sole focus. Nevertheless, the Gethsemanekiez initiative, together with the parish of Gethsemanekirche, continues to position itself against conspiracy narratives. Since April also permanently with a banner, and independently of the rally Mondays.

Omas gegen Rechts Berlin initiate an alliance in Pankow

The first counter-protest in front of a city hall was organized on December 20, 2021 by residents from Pankow. They were supported, among others, by Omas gegen Rechts Berlin, who since 2020 have consistently protested against conspiracy ideological gatherings and co-organized many central protests. Pankow VVN-BdA, Jusos Pankow, and the initiative “Geradedenken.kollektiv” also supported the protests at City Hall. From mid-January on, the organizers joined together to form the alliance “Pankow Solidarisch”.

Photos: Berlin gegen Nazis, Omas gegen Rechts Berlin

The protest took place for the last time on March 28, 2022. Omas gegen Rechts Berlin have also been supporting other rallies with speeches or their presence since January. Since the beginning of April, the focus has been on Stargarder Straße, next to the Gethsemane Church.

A new broad alliance around further Omas gegen Rechts takes to the streets in Tegel

On January 17, 2022 a further Berlin-based Omas gegen Rechts group initiated a protest against the local conspiracy ideological demonstration for the first time. The third rally on January 31 was the first of a new Reinickendorf alliance with Omas gegen Rechts Berlin and the district and county associations respectively of the political parties Die Linke, Bündnis 90/ Die Grünen, SPD, and FDP Reinickendorf. The rally was attended by about 125 people at its peak.

Photos: Berlin gegen Nazis, Omas gegen Rechts Berlin (Tegel)

The largest Monday counter-protests in Berlin opposed in part conspiracy ideological demonstrations of up to 1200 people. These ended abruptly in mid-March with the withdrawal of the person registering. The last counter-protest took place on March 21, 2022. A new registrant from the conspiracy-ideological spectrum has been trying to hold further ” Montagsdemonstrationen” since the end of March without much success.

The initiative “Geradedenken” boosts counter-protests in many places in the city.

The left-wing collective “Geradedenken.kollektiv” has been organizing rallies and raves since the fall of 2020, often in the midst of large conspiracy-ideological gatherings. The collctive was instrumental in the successful initial phase of the counter-protests against the Monday demonstrations On January 3, the collective organized a rally at Neukölln City Hall, which was continued for weeks afterwards by the alliance Bündnis Neukölln. Partly in cooperation with the reptiloid counter-protest of “antiverschwurbelte aktion”, Geradedenken also organized rallies along the route of the conspiracy-ideological demonstration from Alexanderplatz in Mitte, which was organized by right-wing extremists until February 14. These demonstrations led, among others, to media headquarters, hospitals, or residences of federal politicians.

Fotos: Berlin gegen Nazis, Omas gegen Rechts Berlin, Geradedenken

Since the end of February, Geradedenken has again focused its own protests on the mobilizations from the conspiracy-ideological spectrum to the government district or to the corresponding regular weekend demonstrations. Nevertheless, the collective continues to support the local Monday protests.

Across Berlin, committed people position themselves with messages on a yellow background

In almost all districts, participants in the counter-protests used a poster series that several district partnerships for democracy had developed together with Berlin against Nazis for low-threshold positioning against conspiracy ideologies and anti-Semitism and for solidarity and democracy back in 2021. These neon colored posters radiated very brightly even on dark winter evenings.

Potos: Berlin gegen Nazis, Omas gegen Rechts Berlin, ZFD Treptow-Köpenick, Licht-Blicke, Omas gegen Rechts Berlin (Tegel)

Counter-Protest & Commemoration in Treptow-Köpenick, Marzahn-Hellersdorf

On January 10, the alliance Bündnis für Demokratie und Toleranz Marzahn-Hellersdorf together with residents and anti-fascist initiatives called to protest against the conspiracy-ideological ” Montagsdemonstrationen” in Hellersdorf at Alice-Salomon-Platz. The alliance regularly organized such commemorative rallies for the victims of the COVID pandemic in Marzahn. The start of the protests in Köpenick – also on January 10, 2022 – was a commemorative rally for the dead of the Covid pandemic in the district. It was organized by the alliance Bündnis für Demokratie und Toleranz Treptow-Köpenick. On January 17, a newly formed alliance “Bündnis Menschenkette für Solidarität” took over the Köpenick protest. The human chain then gathered around the town hall for several weeks, despite threats.

Photos: Berlin gegen Nazis, Björn Thielebein, Team Petra Pau

a Chronicle of Counter-Protests

Protests by residents, initiatives and alliances against conspiracy-ideological ” Montagsdemonstrationen ” have taken place in Berlin since December 20, 2021. On May 23, the weekly counter-protests reached a total number of over 150 protests:

  • 20.12.2021 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) =2 protests in 1 district
  • 27.12.2021 Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 1 protest in 1 district
  • 03.01.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln und Hermannplatz (Neukölln), Alexanderplatz und Unter den Linden (Mitte) = 6 protests in 3 districts
  • 10.01.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln und Hermannplatz (Neukölln), Alexanderplatz (Mitte), Rathaus Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Rathaus Hellersdorf (Marzahn-Hellersdorf) =7 protests in 5 districts
  • 17.01.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln und Hermannplatz (Neukölln), Alexanderplatz, Rathaus Wedding (Mitte), Rathaus Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Rathaus Tempelhof (Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf) = 9 protests in 6 districts
  • 24.01.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln und Hermannplatz (Neukölln), Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden, Rathaus Wedding (Mitte), Rathaus Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Rathaus Tempelhof, Rathaus Schöneberg, Rathaus Friedenau (Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), Rathaus Lichtenberg (Lichtenberg) =13 protests in 7 districts
  • 31.01.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Alexanderplatz, Unter den Linden, Rathaus Wedding (Mitte), Rathaus Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Rathaus Tempelhof, Rathaus Friedenau, Rathaus Schöneberg (Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), Rathaus Lichtenberg (Lichtenberg), Helene-Weigel-Platz Marzahn (Marzahn-Hellersdorf), Wilmersdorfer Str/ Goethestr. (Charlottenburg/WIlmersdorf), Moritzstr. (Spandau), Fahrradkorso vom Prenzlauer Berg über Wedding nach Pankow = 17 protests in 10 districts
  • 07.02.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Rathaus Wedding (Mitte), Rathaus Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Rathaus Tempelhof, Rathaus Friedenau, (Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), Rathaus Lichtenberg (Lichtenberg), Alice-Salomon-Platz Hellersdorf(Marzahn-Hellersdorf), Moritzstr. (Spandau), Marheinekeplatz Kreuzberg, Landsberger Allee Friedrichshain (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg) = 14 protests in 10 districts
  • 14.02.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee, U Eberswalder Str. (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Rathaus Wedding (Mitte), Rathaus Tempelhof, Rathaus Friedenau, Rathaus Schöneberg(Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), Rathaus Lichtenberg (Lichtenberg) = 11 protests in 6 districts
  • 21.02.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Rathaus Wedding, Rosenthaler Platz (Mitte), Rathaus Tempelhof, Rathaus Friedenau, Rathaus Schöneberg(Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), S Karlshorst/Treskowallee (Lichtenberg), Rathaus Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Teltower Damm (Steglitz-Zehlendorf) = 13 protests in 8 districts
  • 28.02.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Rathaus Wedding, Zionskirchstr.(Mitte), Rathaus Tempelhof, (Tempelhof-Schöneberg), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), S Karlshorst/Treskowallee (Lichtenberg), Klinikum Köpenick (Treptow-Köpenick), Teltower Damm (Steglitz-Zehlendorf), Helene-Weigel-Platz (Marzahn-Hellersdorf) = 12 protests in 9 districts
  • 07.03.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee (Pankow), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), S Karlshorst/Treskowallee (Lichtenberg) = 6 protests in 4 districts
  • 14.03.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Antonplatz Weissensee (Pankow) ,Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), S Karlshorst/Treskowallee (Lichtenberg) = 5 protests in 3 districts
  • 21.03.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), ,Gorkistr./Berliner Str. Tegel (Reinickendorf), S Karlshorst/Treskowallee (Lichtenberg), Rathaus Zehlendorf (Steglitz-Zehlendorf), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln) = 6 protests in 5 districts
  • 28.03.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), S Karlshorst /Treskowallee (Lichtenberg), Rathaus Zehlendorf (Steglitz-Zehlendorf), Rathaus Neukölln (Neukölln), Helene-Weigel-Platz (Marzahn-Hellersdorf) = 7 protests in 5 districts
  • 04.04.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche , Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), S Karlshorst /Treskowallee (Lichtenberg), Rathaus Zehlendorf (Steglitz-Zehlendorf) = 5 protests in 3 districts
  • 11.04.2022 Rathaus Pankow, Gethsemanekirche Prenzlauer Berg, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 3 protests in 1 district
  • 18.04.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow), S Karlshorst /Treskowallee (Lichtenberg) = 3 protests in 2 districts
  • 25.04.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 2 protests in 1 district
  • 02.05.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 2 protests in 1 district
  • 09.05.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 2 protests in 1 district
  • 16.05.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 2 protests in 1 district
  • 23.05.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 2 protests in 1 district
  • 30.05.2022 Gethsemanekirche, Stargarder Str Prenzlauer Berg (Pankow) = 2 protests in 1 district

Permanent online positioning and BVV resolutions

Since the beginning of February 2022, all residents of Berlin had the opportunity to support the protests against the conspiracy ideological “Montagsdemonstrationen” online and to set a signal for solidarity and against conspiracy ideology, anti-Semitism and right-wing extremism. Several declarations and petitions offered opportunity to participate and make visible all those who could not or did not want to protest on site for a variety of reasons, and given pandemic conditions.

A Berlin-wide network of individuals, initiatives, parties, trade unionists and local alliances around the network ” Aufstehen gegen Rassismus Berlin” published the ” Berliner Erklärung “:

solidarisch-denken.de

In mid-February, the initiative Gethsemanekiez published a declaration for the neighborhood, Berlin and the entire federal territory with one hundred initial signatories from culture, politics, and civil society.

Declaration of Democracy: Living a collective spirit. Protecting Democratic Values.

There were further local declarations in the form of petitions in two Berlin districts:

In addition, four districts passed BVV resolutions:

The protests against Conspiracy Ideology 2022 are a fantastic example of Berlin’s vibrant civil society due to their Berlin-wide local anchoring. Berlin against Nazis has gone far beyond capacity limits with the continuous coverage of the protests in the 1st quarter in order to stand by those engaged. Despite this effort, the support of these protests was a highlight of the project’s history. Thank you!