Pictures: „designing posters against neo-Nazis“ and neighborhood protests against „Heß“-demonstration of August 19 in Spandau

As part of the broad protests against the major right-wing extremist demonstration in Spandau, Berlin gegen Nazis invited to take part in its poster design workshop under the slogan "Plakate malen gegen Neonazis". Berlin gegen Nazis and the neighborhood initiative Spandauer Verein Gesellschaft für interkulturelles Zusammenleben - GIZ e.V. managed to produce an information flyer in five languages, after the route of the demonstration was known four days prior to the demonstration. Thousands of the flyers were distributed by volunteers to allow neighbors and residents to position themselves along the marching route. We’d like to share a few impressions of the day here.

Civic society of Spandau numerously joined the protests on August 19, which were organized by Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts, Regionalgruppe der Vereinigung der Verfolgten des Naziregimes/Bund der Antifaschisten (VVN-BdA), as well as Mahnwache für Toleranz und ein friedliches Miteinander – gegen Rassismus, Antisemitismus und Islamfeindlichkeit der evangelischen Kirche Spandau. The support of Spandauer Runden Tisches für Demokratie und Toleranz and the other large alliances of civic society based in Berlin, Bezirksverordnetenversammlung, and Bezirksamt Spandau, as well as the federal associations of the governing parties of Berlin created a protest movement powerful enough so the right-wnig extremists were not able to commemorate Rudolf Heß at the former location of the NS-prison at Spandauer Wilhelmstadt. Thus, about 1200 right-wing extremists marched on a short side track route near the train station through Spandau.

Still, the entire route which was previously announced as the right-wing extremists’ marching route was crowded with banners and posters of citizens opposing right-wing extremism, commemoration of NS-heroes, and supporting open-mindedness and diversity. The flyer in five languages and two versions (Versionen: 1. ( Deutsch, Arabisch, Farsi /PDF) und 2. (Deutsch, Englisch, Türkisch)), which was made in cooperation with Berlin gegen Nazis and Gesellschaft für Interkulturelles Zusammenleben e.V.- GIZ to keep residents and neighbors informed, helped to unite the neighborhood protest.

Informing the residents affected by right-wing extremist demonstrations is a precondition for their ability to prepare and react against these demonstrations. Once such a protest is formed, it is an excellent means to disturb the right-wing extremists’ self-presentation, and it fosters the solidarity among residents and neighbors against right-wing extremism and racism.

At the planned destination of the “Heß-demonstration”, Wilhelmstraße 23 (former location of the prison of convicted NS war criminals), the alliance Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts had registered a demonstration where Berlin gegen Nazis successfully invited to join their poster design workshop “Plakate malen gegen Neonazis”. This Tweet gives an impression of a journalist of the daily newspaper taz – die tageszeitung. Many people designed posters which they put on display during the rerouted right-wing extremist demonstration.

Pics of the day at the protest against the right-wing extremist demonstration on August 19

 

 

residents protesting the right-wing extremist “Heß-demonstration” – photo: Jüdisches Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus e. V. (JFDA)

 

 

 

protests aling the marching route of the right-wing extremists with posters made at the design workshop – photo: Jüdisches Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus e. V. (JFDA)