On October 3, 2019, the right-wing extremist organization “Wir für Deutschland” (WfD) plans, after eleven months, to hold a further rally through Berlin. Following broad protests and little participation for their latest march on November 9, 2018, WfD announced to not organize any further rallies in the future, bringing to a halt their series of rallies since 2016.
As in the previous year, WfD now registered two events for October 3 under the slogan “Tag der Nation”. The rally is scheduled to start at 14:00 will lead from Washingtonplatz to Alexanderplatz (Neptunbrunnen), via Kapelle-Ufer, Reinhardtstraße, Friedrichstraße.
Action map right-wing extremist rally on October 3, 2019, Berlin-Mitte (as of 02.10.2019, all info subject to change)
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Routes and event locations
11:00 Platz der Republik – event hosted by staatenlos.info of Reichsbürger scene background, subsequent participation in WfD rally announced
13:00 Protest event hosted by Anwohnerinitiative für Zivilcourage – Gegen Rechts “Den Nazis keine Mitte“ Friedrichstraße (corner of Johannisstraße)
13:30 Protest event and demonstration, Ella Trebe Straße (next to Washingtonplatz/ at Meiniger Hostel) “Refugees Welcome“
14:00 Right-wing extremist opening event “2. Tag der Nation“-rally by Wir für Deutschland (WfD), Washingtonplatz (south side exit Hauptbahnhof)
14:00 Protest event hosted by Berliner Bündnis gegen Rechts, Unter den Linden / Friedrichstraße
14:00 Demonstration hosted by Initiative Splitter & Nackt, Route: Gendarmenmarkt (Jägerstraße/Markgrafenstraße), Markgrafenstraße, Behrensstraße, Charlottenstraße, Leipziger Straße, intermediate rally : Leipziger Straße/Axel-Springer-Straße, Niederwallstraße, Oberwallstraße, Unter den Linden, Schloßbrücke, Karl-Liebknecht-Straße/Ecke Spandauer Straße
15:00 Protest event hosted by Initiative für Vielefalt und Toleranz am Mehringplatz, Kochstraße / Friedrichstraße
15:00 Begin (tbc) of right-wing extremist rally WfD, demonstration route: Washingtonplatz, Kapelle-Ufer, Reinhardtstraße, Friedrichstraße, Zimmerstraße, Markgrafenstraße, Krausenstraße, Axel-Springer-Straße, Spittelmarkt, Gertraudenstraße, Spandauer Straße, Alexanderplatz (Neptunbrunnen)
Further information:
13:00 Demonstration „Richtig deckeln, dann enteignen“ starting point: Haus des Lehrers – Grunerstraße – Gertraudenstraße – Axel Springer Straße – Lindenstraße – Franz Klühs Straße – Wihelmstraße – Tempelhofer Ufer Waterloo-Ufer – Gitschiner Straße – Skalitzer Straße – Kottbusser Tor
Protests in Mitte
The resident’s initiative Anwohner_inneninitiative für Zivilcourage – Gegen Rechts with support of Bündnis für ein weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin andTanzversammlung Rosenthaler is calling to join their under the slogan “Den Nazis keine Mitte” starting from 13:00 at Friedrichstraße and Johannisstraße.
Program of the protest event
- Ferda Ataman
- Omas gegen Rechts Berlin
- NSU Watch
- Britzer Initiative Hufeisern gegen Rechts
- Humanistischer Verband Berlin-Brandenburg
- TBB – Türkischer Bund Berlin Brandenburg
Cultural and musical program:
The resident’s initiative Anwohnerinneninitiative für Zivilcourage -Gegen Rechts, which has recently been awarded the Band für Mut und Verständigung, founded itself in Spring 2017 following two marches under the slogan “Merkel muss weg” leading through their neighborhood. The initiative hosted three events on July 1, 2017, with a diverse program. As well as on September 9, 2017, and March 3, 2018, the initiative hosted events to protest the rallies by “Wir für Deutschland” in the Spandauer Vorstadt neighborhood. A preliminary peak was the event with 1,500 participants on October 3, 2018, against the first so-called “Tag der Nation” hosted by WfD. The residents stated in their first call of Spring 2017 why they decided to take action against right-wing extremism in their neighborhood:
On March 4, 2017, residents were personally threatened and even spat at by Nazis. We founded ourselves as a resident’s initiative as we cannot idly watch right-wing extremist rallies marching through our neighborhood. We visibly and directly engage to foster democracy and a peaceful coexistence in our district. Our Kiez has many colors and that is how it should be.
The alliance Bündnis für weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin, comprised of churches, trade unions, charities and further actors of civic society calls to support the resident’s protest and supports its organization. The call states:
Our goal is solidarity in the streets, class rooms, offices, churches and shops of our city. Without questioning descent, faith, color of skin or way of life of people, we wish to foster a society of open-mindedness, diversity, and democracy!
Berliner Bündnis gegen Rechts, an alliance of non-profits, charities, leftist as well as anti-fascist groups, mobilizes as well with an individual call for a protest event 2 pm Friedrichstraße/Unter den Linden.
Assessment
Mobile Beratung gegen Rechtsextremismus Berlin (MBR) published an assessment on October 3 and the right-wing extremist organization “Wir für Deutschland (WfD)“. It states:
The announcement of 5,000 participants for the initial registration corresponds to five times the actual participants of the previous year. It is thus unrealistically high. In the previous year, the hosts were able to profit from the nation-wide dynamics of mobilization against refugees, as in Chemitz or Köthen. Currently, the right-wing extremists do not have such support. On the contrary, mobilization to take to the streets seems to be on the decline, as evident in comparable events throughout Germany.
(…)
Taking into account the previous gatherings of WfD, it is likely that supporters on October 3 will come from the same spectrum of people as in the previous year as well as the previous events under the slogan “Merkel muss weg”; these being right-wing extremists organized in comradeships, NPD, the political party “Der III. Weg”, the identitarian movement, people supporting the “Reichsbürger” movement, football hooligans, sympathizers and members of AfD, supporters of further right-wing extremist factions, islamophobic and anti-refugee initiatives.
(…)
Several right-wing “media activits” have announced their participation as well. The right-wing extremists Alexander Kurth and Jens Wilke plan to report from the rally for their rightist videoblog “Ungetrübt Media“. WfD has also announced a live stream by the rightist youtube activist Henryk Stöckl, who has in the past attracted attention regularly with false reports and xenophobic contributions. A further rightist youtuber, Lisa H. (“Lisa Licentia“), who has been active within the right-wing extremist “Identitäre Bewegung“, and has taken part in AfD’s media congress, is also announced to partake. However, it is not clear whether she will act as speaker or report with her camera. In the past, she has been trying repeatedly to dress up as counter remonstrant and report “undercover” about civic counter protestors on her youtube channel.
Further in-depth information on “Wir für Deutschland“, the announced speakers, and the mobilizing process can be found here. (Source: MBR – Assessment as of September 30, 2019)
Berlin gegen Nazis will update this report with current information. Use twitter hashtags #b0310 and #nowfd.