News: Second registration for a right-wing march of WfD on October 3, 2018, in Mitte / Friedrichshain
In addition to the first WfD-march at 2 pm from Central Station there is a second registration for the area Mitte / Friedrichshain. This right-wing march is registered from 5.30 pm to 11.59 pm on the following route: Alexanderstraße (Teacher’s House / bcc) – Karl-Marx-Allee – Warschauer Straße – End at: S Warschauer Straße
action map right-wing extremist WfD march on October 3, 2018, Berlin-Mitte / -Friedrichshain (as of October 2nd, 2018, subject of change)
View the maps online via our Smartphone-App „Gegen Nazis“ ,with optional service of display of your current location.
action map right-wing extremist WfD march on October 3, 2018, Berlin-Mitte (as of October 1st, 2018, subject of change)
Routes and locations
- 13:00 protest event „Tanzen gegen Rechts“ Rosenthaler Platz /Brunnenstraße
- 14:00: right-wing extremist opening event „Tag der Nation” demonstration organized by Wir für Deutschland (WfD), Europaplatz (north side of Hauptbahnhof)
- 14:00 protest event of the residents’ initiative Anwohnerinitiative für Zivilcourage – Gegen Rechts Pappelplatz (Invalidenstraße/Ackerstraße)
- 15:00 supposed start of the right-wing extremist demonstration Wir für Deutschland (WfD), route: Europaplatz – Invalidenstraße – Ackerstraße – Torstraße – Novalisstraße – Tieckstraße – Chausseestraße – Invalidenstraße – Europaplatz
- 17:30 supposed start of the 2. right-wing extremist demonstration from Wir für Deutschland (WfD) with the motto: „Schwarz Rot Gold ist unsere Fahne“, route: Alexanderstraße (Teacher’s House / bcc) – Karl-Marx-Allee – Warschauer Straße – End at: S Warschauer Straße
Flyer for the protest event of the residents’ initiative.
The residents’ initiative “Anwohnerinitiative für Zivilcourage -Gegen Rechts” was founded in the Spring of 2017, after two subsequent right-wing extremist demonstrations under the slogan „Merkel muss weg” marched through the residential neighborhood. On July 1, 2017, the initiative hosted three protest events with a diverse program (Dokumentation). On September 9, 2017 (Dokumentation) and on March 3, 2018 (Dokumentation), the initiative organized protest events against the right-wing extremist marches of “Wir für Deuschland (Wfd)“ at Spandau. The initiative declared their purpose in a first statement in early Summer of 2017:
During the demonstration of March 4, 2017, we were personally attacked and even spat at by Nazis. We could not let that happen and thus formed a residents’ initiative. We actively and visibly foster democracy and the peaceful coexistence of our community. Our Kiez is colorful and will remain as such.
Program
Speeches by
- residents’ initiative “Anwohnerinitiative für Zivilcourage – Gegen Rechts”
- Laura Pinnig (DGB Kreisverband Mitte)
- Manfred Nowak (AWO Berlin-Mitte)
- Matthias Motter (Evangelische Kirchengemeinde am Weinberg).
- Raphael Hillebrand (Die Urbane)
Cultural program:
- Imran Ayata (music and speech)
- Ben Becker reads Paul Celan – Die Todesfuge
- Bobo in the White Wooden Houses (SOLO) with Flora Camille
- Bert´z Rache
- Gigo Flow
- Auge.blau
- Martin Dean & Logo Röhm
- Annika von Trier
Action campaigns:
- “Rote Karte gegen Rechts” (bring red cards)
- Glitter against Nazis – decorate the demonstration route with the shiny symbol of “Die Vielen”
- Noise challenge – bring pots and pans to make some noise against Nazis
Members of the initiative
The initiative Bündnis für ein weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin, an alliance of churches, trade unions, charities and further civic organizations supports the residents’ initiative and calls to join. Their call states:
„On occasion of the announcement by right-wing extremist groups to lead a demonstration from Berlin Hauptbahnhof on German Reunification day. The documentation of such demonstrations clearly indicates that speeches during these events campaign against groups of persons who do not comply with an alleged homogeneous Germany. We cannot accept that but wish to set a signal and protest. Our goals are solidarity and social cohesion on the streets and places, in classrooms, work places and churches, arenas and malls of our city. We are advocates for such a democratic society!
We support the protest event organized by „Anwohner_innen-Initiative für Zivilcourage – Gegen Rechts“ and call to join their protest.”
Flyer “Tanzen gegen Rechts”
A further protest event is scheduled to start from 13:00 at Rosenthaler Platz on Brunnenstraße. A stationary rave under the slogan “Tanzen gegen Rechts” is organized by club scene activists.
Cultural program:
13.00 – 15.00 Estimulo
15.00 – 17.00 Makarov
17.00 – 19.00 Dr. Motte
Assessment
Mobile Beratung gegen Rechtsextremismus Berlin (MBR) has published an assessment of the demonstration of October 3, where it states:
On occasion of the German Reunification day on October 3, 2018, right-wing extremists are planning to organized a large march in Berlin. The group “Wir für Deutschland” has been mobilizing for months to attend their “major” demonstration under the slogan “Tag der Nation”, which is scheduled to start on Europaplatz at Hauptbahnhof. The event was registered for 1,000 participants. In the light of the events of Chemnitz and Köthen, it is hard to predict how realistic this number is. Currently, it seems unlikely that the organizers will manage to mobilize the social dynamic for their event, but the possibility cannot be excluded either.
Due to the milieus expected to attend, it is likely that an increased potential for aggression will determine the atmosphere of the event. It is not new that right-wing extremists claim October 3rd as a holiday and appeal to a strengthening of national pride, as could be observed during the years 2012 to 2014 with the events under the slogan “Tag der Patrioten”. (…)
Mobilization for the event in October started as early as January, 2018. Despite constant and lively mobilization on social media, confirmed participants on Facebook had reached only 600 as of August. Meanwhile (as of September 13), the numbers increased to 1,000 participants, with 3,000 interested parties. Judging from past events of WfD, the expected participants on October 3, are likely to come from the familiar spectrum of supporters of the demonstrations under the slogan “Merkel muss weg“:right-wing extremists organized within comradeships, NPD, party members of “Der III. Weg“, of the „Identitären Bewegung“, adherents of “Reichsbürger” ideology, supporters of further right-wing extremist factions, football hooligans, members of AfD’s „Patriotische Plattform“, as well as xenophobic groups against Islam and refugees. The NPD’s Bundesorganisationsleiter, Sebastian Schmidtke, calls to join.
(…)
Regardless of the occasion of the current demonstration, meanwhile a milieu of supporters has manifested who are constantly willing to be mobilized to attend anti-refugee or right-wing extremist gatherings in Berlin. Thus, yet again the prognosis will be a number of several hundred participants.
Twitter-hashtags for updates on October 3 are: #b0310and #nowfd
This post is regularly updated and there is a facebook event.