Nazis, Nazis Everywhere: The German media and the Corona protests

On Monday, according to participants in Rostock, there were 15,000 people who demonstrated against the Corona measures. That was the largest demonstration, and especially interesting in relation to the city’s population; Rostock only has 200,000 inhabitants, so 7.5 percent of the inhabitants were on the street.

What is developing there, in hundreds of places across the republic, is a broad movement, carried by completely normal people. Because the demonstrations are not registered and because they are taking place in so many places at the same time, they can hardly be stopped. A few weeks ago police hundreds were carted to Saxony from other federal states in order to contain the demonstrations there; this is no longer possible because there is no federal state in which there are no protests.

In the reporting of the mainstream press there are still “thousands” in total: thousands in Saxony, thousands in Saxony-Anhalt, thousands in Thuringia, but also in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg, in Hamburg or Berlin, that adds up to thousands again. Where would we go if one were to honestly speak or write at least tens of thousands.

The reaction? In Schweinfurt there were express court proceedings. The Bavarian city was the only place besides Bautzen from which clashes with the police were reported, but the question of who had collided with whom always remained open. You only have to read the statement by the Saxon Interior Minister Wöller: “Twelve injured police officers who were attacked with pyrotechnics and bottles in Bautzen yesterday evening when they wanted to enforce the Corona emergency ordinance are not just a sad result.” … When they wanted to enforce the Corona Emergency Ordinance.

That is, they were injured when they cracked down on the demonstration; it was not the demonstrators who took action against the police. An emergency ordinance that bans outdoor gatherings when there is still no evidence of outdoor contagion; which is in fact only directed against the right of assembly. Wöller wants fast-track procedures like in Schweinfurt. The Saxon police, at least their union, would find a lifting of these restrictions more appropriate.

It is demonstrated in places where it usually rarely happens. From a total of more than a hundred thousand people, from all age groups, all over the republic. But the media agree: all Nazis. Or unsuspecting people who let themselves be instrumentalized by the Nazis. The FAZ knows:

“It had nothing to do with peaceful protest, but followed a well-known pattern: What is currently happening in Bautzen and other cities is a repetition of what happened during the refugee crisis. (…) That does not mean that all The demonstrations of the past few days would have been parades by neo-Nazis. But every commoner who walks along there should look carefully to see who is walking next to him and ask himself whether this is really the right way. The answer is then hopefully clear. “

Hundreds of demonstrations lead to riots in two places, which are also absolutely within the framework of what every major football game delivers, but “it has nothing to do with peaceful protest”.

In the vast majority of the protests there were no flags, not even banners. But the FAZ author still implies that the majority of the demonstrations were actually “marches by neo-Nazis”. Like “during the refugee crisis.” Which is why the good citizen bravely swallows his discomfort at Corona Germany and stays at home so as not to get in common with these Nazis.

The Leipzig left-wing politician Kerstin Köditz, who ought to know exactly the customs and traditions of the anti-German mob in her place of residence, where the Bengali fire is one of the more harmless weekend amusements, explains – referring to the quite manageable clashes in Bautzen – “this is where civil war is rehearsed . Nothing else.” One is almost tempted to sponsor the lady on a trip to Donetsk so that she can recognize how many orders of magnitude lie between Bautzen and the civil war; But politicians who consider it to be the left to demand a more massive use of state authority in order to enforce nonsensical regulations against peaceful citizens, if even the union of this state authority considers this to be nonsense, would probably not be teachable by this either.

There are videos of almost all of these demonstrations. Parades by neo-Nazis look different. But it doesn’t matter. The good old motif of the “cross front”, which was used so successfully against peace rallies as early as 2014, is also used here again.

“Whether in Dresden, Bautzen or Chemnitz: Almost every demonstration is about the overthrow of the system in speeches and on banners, a right-wing extremist party serves as the central platform for mobilization and Reich citizens known for the protection of the constitution speak openly on the stages.”

That comes from a comment on Tag24 . Not to be forgotten – the “Reichsbürger” are also a construct from the cross-front retort, just like the “lateral thinkers”.

The greatest zeal in the enemy construction sets , however, the content factory of the SPD press, the editors Network Germany ( RND ), to the day. It is about “the corona protests of a radical minority”. And right after the headline, there is a round of public opinion:

“The red glow of a burning flare and the stroboscopic flashing of the police flashlights light up the dark December evening in Bautzen on Monday. A firecracker explodes with a loud bang between the legs of the helmeted riot police. Loud ‘Resistance’ calls echo through the streets.”

Doesn’t that sound scary?

Such an introduction creates leeway, which is immediately used for unproven assertions:

“The ‘resistance’ that is being offered here is only superficially directed against the corona protective measures and a possible vaccination requirement. Many have long demonstrated against the state itself, against the basic democratic consensus of a free society.”

Astonishing. When people demonstrate to regain their basic rights by exercising a basic right, are they demonstrating “against the basic democratic consensus of a free society”? Oh, I forgot: The consensus is that in the face of Corona there are no longer any fundamental rights … so that anyone who does not share this view can immediately be declared an enemy of the state.

Particularly nice: the RND does not even deny that the violence in Bautzen came from the police: “According to the police, twelve police officers are injured in the riots that begin when the emergency services stop an unauthorized elevator.”

No, it is inconceivable that ordinary people are simply fed up after almost two years of corona torture; that the illogical about the constantly new catalogs of measures pisses them off or that they feel deceived when they have only been promised salvation through a vaccination and now there is only talk of limited protection for a very limited time. The good German accepts all of this obediently – no matter how much the statements made today differ from the statements made yesterday. Only evil, devious anti-democrats want protests:

“Individual state offices for the protection of the constitution also warned early on that the radicalized and well-networked potential of the corona denier scene could quickly be mobilized again in the future. The decentralized protests in villages, small and large towns across Germany are this revival.”

Of course, RND pretends that everyone who has been vaccinated is a staunch supporter of the policy. “The same applies to the Monday protests scattered across the republic that was already the case for the major ‘lateral thinkers’ demonstrations in summer 2020: They only represent a small minority.” And minorities – that is probably the current definition of democracy – do not have to be taken into account.

Well, that is so common with Social Democrats who, after 150 years of party history, internal struggles and emptying of content, offer the most sophisticated intrigue scenario in the country and for whom the basic requirement is that 50 percent plus one vote are reason enough to go through mercilessly, because that is ultimately the case the majority.

In terms of dealing with the population of a country, however, it is a very stupid idea to completely exclude minorities even from a quarter or a third, to declare them pariah. Because that unnecessarily exacerbates conflicts. Because majority relationships can change, and because wise political behavior takes this possibility into account and ensures that even in this case one does not get caught up in the wheels. The most striking thing about the whole development of the corona measures is that the opposite of being politically clever is continuously happening.

No, the RND does not deal with such questions . Rather, it complains that journalists are at risk from anti-measure protests. “Many television teams only report corona protests with hired security guards.” After almost two years of reporting that declares anyone a Nazi who does not cheer for the mask requirement or who thinks a distance of “five feet” in the open air is silly, this is of course completely inexplicable. Even the dozen insults of people who were not vaccinated must have contributed to the popularity of the relevant media. It is really incomprehensible why ARD , ZDF & Co. are not greeted with joy.

The complaint about the journalists threatened by the demonstrators is only a means to an end, in order to put the next tick on the tally of maximum evil. “What is also shocking again and again that open anti-Semitism permeates all Corona protests,” said the Berlin state manager of the DJU, Jörg Reichel. Anti-Semitism? Serious?

Of course there is no evidence for this either; not even an indication of what anti-Semitism should consist of when demonstrating against compulsory vaccination. Even taking into account existing claims that Bill Gates or Klaus Schwab were behind all Corona measures, no anti-Semitism can be found. But you can say it.

The dpa does it a little more skillfully and looks for a representative of a counseling center for those affected by right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence as a speaking doll. After all, he must know; that’s what he’s paid for. And he also delivers accordingly: “What can be observed this year and what is also causing us great concern are these massive right-wing mobilizations in connection with the corona pandemic. (…) The nature and extent of these remind us very much of the racist mobilizations in 2015 and 2016. ” The consequence at that time was a “blatant escalation of racist violence”.

There is not a single report of racist attacks in connection with demonstrations against the Corona measures. Not this week either. There are recordings of dark-skinned demonstrators. Does not matter. The demonstrations are simply declared to be a “right-wing mobilization”, the rest can still be found, as was the case in Chemnitz.

The general manager of the German Association of Municipalities, Gerd Landsberg, makes clear the direction in which it should go:

“The state has to show a clear edge with the anti-vaccination demonstrations. (…) Most of the anti-vaccination campaigns have no previous convictions who have not attracted attention , but especially those involved in violent confrontations with police officers, drastic penalties can be imposed. This can range from heavy fines to imprisonment. “

Landsberg cheats on his testimony in order to leave as threatening an impression as possible. Participation in an unannounced demonstration is initially only participation in a meeting that is covered by the right of assembly. Violations of the Corona regulations are administrative offenses, nothing more. But Landsberg implies something in the phrase “usually are at not convicted the Impfgegnern people.” The vaccination opponents themselves , he is probably suggesting, have a previous conviction, i.e. criminals. This is political and legal nonsense, which is only intended to prevent those who are only “with the vaccine opponents” from participating.

The next week will show whether this entire media front is just a threatening backdrop or a portent of violent crackdown. However, the higher the number of demonstrations and demonstrators, the less likely the latter is. Because already this week it was no longer possible to move hundreds back and forth between federal states.

But one thing is unmistakable: there are no limits to defamation. The labels have all been missed. Nazis, racists, anti-Semites, criminals. The Schweinfurt fast court system is praised as a role model. This coverage says nothing about the demonstrators. But it says a lot about the willingness of state power to leave the limits of democratic action behind.