Breaking news: Second announcement for neo-Nazi demonstration on August 18, 2018 in the district of Friedrichshain/Lichtenberg
Apparently, the broad protests in the making have prompted the organizers of the „Heßmarsch“ in Spandau to look out for an alternative marching route.
Apart from the known announcement at Spandau, there has currently been a second registration for a right-wing extremist „Heßmarsch“ to take place in the districts of Friedrichshain/Lichtenberg. This second march is announced to take place from 11:00 to 23:59 on the following route: Platz der Vereinten Nationen, Landsberger Allee, Weissenseer Weg, Möllendorfstraße, Frankfurter Allee, Rosenfelder Straße, Irenestraße, Bahnhof Lichtenberg.
According to MBR’s current assessment „it is likely that the organizers wish to have a strategic side track at hand in case that, as in the past year, the right-wing extremist demonstration will be inhibited or made impossible by the counter protests. The primary goal of the right-wing extremists, however, (…) will probably remain to be on the march through Spandau.“
action map right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch”, August 18, 2018, Berlin-Spandau (as of August 17, 2018, subject to change)
View the map online via our Smartphone-App „Gegen Nazis“ ,with optional service of display of your current location.
Routes and locations (brief overview, as of August 17, 2018)
August 17, 2018 (anniversary of Rudolf Heß’ death)
- 17:00 Demonstration „NS-Verherrlichung stoppen“ organized by Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts – starting point: Bahnhof Spandau – further information
August 18, 2018
- 09:00: “Demonstration für Toleranz und Weltoffenheit“ organized by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, starting point: Mönchstr. 7, Moritzstraße, Altstädter Ring, end at: Seegefeldersterstraße
- 10:30: “Verantwortung für die Vergangenheit übernehmen – für Gegenwart und Zukunft“ event with speeches organized by „Bündnis für ein weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin“, Rathaus Spandau
- 11:00: Demonstration “Keine Verehrung von Naziverbrechern“ organized by Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts, starting point: Bahnhof Spandau (Nordseite/Seegefelderstraße),Klosterstraße, Wilhelmstraße, Heerstraße, Gatowerstraße, Wilhelmstraße, Adamstraße, Pichelsdorfer Straße, Wilhelmstraße, Klosterstraße, Brunsbütteler Damm, Am Bahnhof, end at: Bahnhof-Spandau (Nordseite/Seegefelderstraße)
- 11:00: “Mahnwache für Toleranz und ein friedliches Miteinander – Gegen Rassismus, Antisemitismus und Islamfeindlichkeit“ organized by Evangelische Kirche Spandau, Melanchthon-Kirche (Melanchthonlatz/Adamstraße/Wilhelmstraße)
- 12:00: “Fest der Demokratie“, Wilhelmstr. 23, organized by the local chapters of the political parties SPD, CDU, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Die Linke, and FDP
- 12:00: right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch“ starting point: Schmidt-Knobeldorfer-Straße / Sotzmannstraße, Seeburger Weg, Maulbeerenallee, Magistratsweg, Brunsbütteler Damm, end at: Brunsbütteler Damm / Nennhauser Damm
Protests
The first protest events start as early as 9:00 on August 18 against the Neonazi-demonstration in Spandau. The political party Bündnis 90/Die Grünen has registered a demonstration and calls to join their protest under the slogan “Für Toleranz und Weltoffenheit”. Meeting point is the party’s quarter at Mönchstr. 7. The demonstration is scheduled to pass the train station, where it will merge with the demonstration of Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts.
The alliance Bündnis für ein weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin, comprised of churches, trade unions, charities, and further civicorganizations, calls to join their protest under the slogan “Take responsibility for the Past – for our Present and the Future”, as in the past year.
The call states:
We wish to show our support for an honest culture of memory and our responsibility to make sure the atrocities of the dictatorship of National Socialism will not repeat themselves. We are ready to take responsibility for a democratic society!
From 10:30, speeches will be given in front of Rathaus Spandau with the following speakers:
- Lala Süsskind, chair of Jüdisches Forum für Demokratie und gegen Antisemitismus
- Bischof Dr. Markus Dröge, Evangelische Kirche
- Dr. Hans Hausenbiegl, dean of Dekanats Berlin Spandau
- Ayşe Demir, board spokesperson of Türkischer Bund in Berlin-Brandenburg
- Jan Gabriel, president of Humanistischer Verband Berlin-Brandenburg
After the event, the alliance will join the demonstration of “Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts” at Bahnhof Spandau train station, starting at 11:00.
The alliance Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts announced a demonstration on August 18 against the right-wing extremist march and calls to join their protest against the glorification of National Socialism. Meeting point is 11:00 at the train station Bahnhof Spandau.
So far, the call of the Spandau alliance is supported by the following organizations, further supporters are asked to join:
Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts, Spandauer Regionalgruppe VVN/BdA, Berliner VVN-BdA, IG BAU, Bündnis – Aufstehen gegen Rassismus, Stadtteilzentrum Spandau – Sozial-kulturelle Netzwerke Casa e.V., DIE LINKE. Spandau, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Berlin – Kreisverband Spandau, AgR Offenburg, GRÜNE JUGEND Berlin, SPD Spandau, Türkischer Bund in Berlin-Brandenburg, Spandauer Mahnwache für Toleranz und ein friedliches Miteinander, Die katholischen Pfarrgemeinden in Spandau, Interventionistische Linke Berlin, Initiative Willkommen in Falkensee – Weiße Rose Gemeinschaft, Linksjugend ‘solid Barnim, MLPD Mitte/Spandau, Cotyar Haci, jugendtheaterwerkstatt spandau e.V., Amnesty International – Gruppe Spandau, Migrations- und Integrationsbeirat Spandau, Landesverband Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Berlin, Internationalistisches Bündnis Berlin (as of August 04, 2018)
Furthermore, several local church communities in Spandau call to join the protest. Their ecumenical call states:
We will not accept the racist propaganda, which, in the past years, has been specifically aimed at stirring fear of the future and has been targeted against migrants and refugees. This endangers the solidarity of our society, and to a lot of people it presents a real danger.
For this reason, the churches call to join their prayers for peace, vigils, and bell ringing at the church Ev. Melanchthon-Kirche.
A further broad alliance calls to join their festival Fest der Demokratie under the slogan “Gesicht zeigen für Demokratie”, which will offer music, speeches, and information exchange at Wilhelmstraße 23 in Spandau (former location of the prison NS-Kriegsverbrechergefängnis). The alliance is based in the local chapers of SPD, CDU, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Die Linke, and FDP and is supported by DGB, Ver.di, IG Metall Jugend, Volksolidarität, AWO, Naturfreunde, Bezirksschülerausschuss Spandau, and Partnerschaft für Demokratie Spandau, amongst others.
The “Fest der Demokratie” starts at 12.00 and is located on the demonstration route of Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts.
Getting there
09:30: For a joint commute from Berlin to Spadau, the initiative Landesarbeitsgemeinschaft Antifaschismus (LAG) of Die Linke party offers to meet at Alexanderplatz. Mobilization is supported as well by Berliner Bündnis gegen Rechts – a joint effort of non-profits, associations and leftist as well as anti-Fascist groups.
Two further meeting points Anreisetreffpunkten are 09.30 Uhr at Hermannplatz, as well as the main building Hauptgebäude der Technischen Universität for a joint commute by bike.
Action campaign „Ein Cent gegen Nazis“ charity parade for human rights
Berlin gegen Nazis counters the neo-Nazi-march with a large-scale action campaign: The website www.ein-cent-gegen-nazis.de offers to fund Sea-Watch e.V. at a rate of one cent per demonstrating person at the right-wing extremist march in Spandau. Please check the website and social media channels Facebook and Twitter for more details.
All Berliners are invited to partake and set a strong signal of solidarity with the rescue teams in the Mediterranean who make humans rights possible through their action. Further information on the supporters of the action campaign can be found here.
Assessment
Mobile Beratung gegen Rechtsextremismus Berlin (MBR) has updated their assessment and sheds light on the background of the continuous importance and meaning of the figure of Rudolf Heß within the neo-Nazi scene:
In 2017, 1,200 neo-Nazis and members of right-wing extremist political parties as well as smaller delegations from several European countries gathered in Berlin. A further 250 neo-Nazis “spontaneously” gathered for a simultaneous demonstration in Falkensee (Brandenburg). The main banner of the demonstration in Spandau spelled the final words of Rudolf Heß’ statement in the Nuremberg trials: “Ich bereue nichts.” (“I do not have any regrets.”) (…)
So far, the mobilization within the right-wing extremist scene has not reached last year’s intensity. As of now, the announced “critical phase” of advertising to take place in August is not noticeable. Well-known activism such as posters in public space, graffiti or further activities (including infringements under penal law) are only known to MBR in one single case from Dortmund, but have yet to be expected with regard to the nearing date of the march. (…)
The publicity in social media and via webpages of the right-wing extremist scene suggests a nation-wide resonance. Structures as “DIE RECHTE” as well as NPD and “Freie Kräfte” all advertise the march, as do relevant protagonists of “Der III. Weg”. This roughly mirrors the field of participants of last year’s march. Regional focus can be observed for Western Germany (Rhineland and Ruhr area) as well as Saxony. Busses have been announced to travel from Dresden (Saxony), Wuppertal (NRW), Aachen/Düren/Heinsberg area (NRW) as well as Northern Germany. Further busses and organized commutes from further cities and towns are to be expected.
It is likely that this year’s number of participants might be slightly lower than last year’s, where the event was the scene’s most important date of the year 2017, with the death of Heß’ anniversary reaching a round thirtieth jubilee. However, in that regard, it is important to emphasize that, within the scene, the date constitutes a fixed datum that does not have to be specifically advertised. The resumption of the nationwide marches commemorating Heß can be read as the expression of the neo-Nazi scene’s return to its legacy of identification with the glorification of National Socialism. According to MBR, a successful march on August 18 presents the risk of a potential implementation of the tradition of regular large commemorative marches in Berlin.
Resolution
On June 13, 2018, Spandau’s council assembly has issued a resolution entitled “Spandau gegen den Marsch für Kriegsverbrecher Rudolf Heß“. The resolution states:
The council assembly of Spandau condemns the planned march of neo-Nazis for the NS war criminal Rudolf Heß on August 18. The members of the assembly wish to clarify that Spandau cannot become a place of pilgrimage for worshipping Nazis.
All residents of Spandau are encouraged to actively join the peaceful counter protests in support of the democratic civic society.
Broad counter protests can help to prevent the establishment of a new tradition of a right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch”. Any support of all Berliners to oppose the large neo-Nazi gathering is welcome to the civic society of Spandau. The counter protests of the past year constitute a solid basis (Documentation).
map zoom-in 1: Bahnhof Spandau, 18.08.2018, Berlin-Spandau (as of 17.08.2018, subject to change)
- 09:00: “Demonstration für Toleranz und Weltoffenheit“ organized by Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, starting point: Mönchstr. 7, Moritzstraße, Altstädter Ring, end at: Seegefeldersterstraße
- 10:30: “Verantwortung für die Vergangenheit übernehmen – für Gegenwart und Zukunft“ event with speeches organized by „Bündnis für ein weltoffenes und tolerantes Berlin“, Rathaus Spandau
- 11:00: Demonstration “Keine Verehrung von Naziverbrechern“ organized by Spandauer Bündnis gegen Rechts, starting point: Bahnhof Spandau (Nordseite/Seegefelderstraße),Klosterstraße, Wilhelmstraße, Heerstraße, Gatowerstraße, Wilhelmstraße, Adamstraße, Pichelsdorfer Straße, Wilhelmstraße, Klosterstraße, Brunsbütteler Damm, Am Bahnhof, end at: Bahnhof-Spandau (Nordseite/Seegefelderstraße)
map zoom-in 2: Wilhelmstraße 23 (former location of NS-Kriegsverbrechergefängnis), 18.08.2018, Berlin-Spandau (as of 17.08.2018, subject to change)
- 11:00: “Mahnwache für Toleranz und ein friedliches Miteinander – Gegen Rassismus, Antisemitismus und Islamfeindlichkeit“ organized by Evangelische Kirche Spandau, Melanchthon-Kirche (Melanchthonlatz/Adamstraße/Wilhelmstraße)
- 12:00: “Fest der Demokratie“, Wilhelmstr. 23, organized by the local chapters of the political parties SPD, CDU, Bündnis 90/Die Grünen, Die Linke, and FDP
map zoom-in 3: route right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch“, 18.08.2018, Berlin-Spandau (as of 17.08.2018, subject to change)
- 12:00: right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch“starting point: Schmidt-Knobeldorfer-Straße / Sotzmannstraße, Seeburger Weg, Maulbeerenallee, Magistratsweg, Brunsbütteler Damm, end at: Brunsbütteler Damm / Nennhauser Damm
map zoom-in 4: route 2. registered right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch“, 18.08.2018, Berlin-Friedrichshain / -Lichtenberg (as of 17.08.2018, subject to change)
2nd registered right-wing extremist “Heßmarsch“, starting point: Platz der Vereinten Nationen, Landsberger Allee, Weissenseer Weg, Möllendorfstraße, Frankfurter Allee, Rosenfelder Straße, Irenestraße, end at: Bahnhof Lichtenberg
We continuously update all information. Find our facebook event here. Use twitter hashtag #b1808 for August 18.