Reason for the protests of Omas gegen Rechts Berlin this past summer was a rally organized by the right-wing extremist Nicolai Nerling, a former elementary school teacher in Berlin, who acts under the alias “Der Volkslehrer”, offering convicted Holocaust deniers public appearances at his rallies. (further information) Nerling himself was convicted by the Court of First Instance of denying the Holocaust on December 12, 2019. On July 14, about eighty supporters gathered to perform Nazi-folklore dances and listen to right-wing extremist speeches, as they had been doing previously on January 19 and October 3rd. Jüdische Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus – JFDA has published a video documentation of the first event. (19.01.19)
Omas gegen Rechts Berlin countered the right-wing extremist event of July 14 with a brilliant protest involving music and salsa dancing. Supported by Jogida, der Jodeloffensive gegen die Idiotisierung durch Angst, the right-wing extremists’ performances were drowned in yodeling lasting for hours. To commence the protest, the dean Superintendentin der EKBO said a prayer at the protest event. At times, the speeches at the right-wing extremist rally were inaudible due to the church bells of Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche ringing. The congregation presented two banners by Bündnis für ein weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin, one Berlin gegen Nazis-Banner as well as another banner by the campaign „Hass schadet der Seele – Liebe tut der Seele gut”. Thus, the right-wing extremist demonstration with speeches by convicted Holocaust deniers found itself framed by Primo Levi’s quote “It happened, therefore it can happen again.”
Pics of the day at the protest against a right-wing extremist rally on July 14, 2019
