The wave of demonstrations in defense of democracy and human rights in Germany does not stop. Also this weekend the German squares were filled with protesters who wanted to shout their no to right-wing extremism. And the wave reached and overwhelmed neighboring Austria where protests in the same spirit were organized in 30 locations. In Hamburg the demonstration under the banner of “We are the firewall – together against right-wing extremism” began at 1pm. The organizers expected the presence of 30,000 participants, at least 50,000 -60,000 arrived, the police have not yet provided your own esteem. For the Hanseatic city it is the third demonstration of this type, between protest and celebration with lots of music. «We don't want any Nazis here. And no AfD. Hey guys, are we in agreement?”. From the stage also Deichkind, a popular electropunk group born in Hamburg, declared their belonging to the colourful, open and determined world, which in Germany at the weekends is taking to the streets to defend democracy, after the investigative journalism site Correctiv revealed the delusional plans for the deportation of millions of immigrants, discussed by the AfD and other right-wing extremists in a not so secret meeting in a villa in Potsdam, which was attended also Martin Sellner, former head of the right-wing extremist identitarian movement in Austria.
Like Hamburg, many other German cities have also seen the squares fill up in the last few hours; according to the protest platform Campact, which recorded them as they were organised, there were at least 68 events. They demonstrated in Bautzen and Zwickau, in Celle, Konstanz, Stuttgart, Erfurt, Lübeck, Trier, Bad Tölz, Kaufbeuren, Kiel and Potsdam. From the far north to the south of Bavaria. According to the organizers, there were 20,000 demonstrators in Dresden. On stage, among the speakers, also the leader of Friday for Future in Germany who invited us to fight indifference, to live democracy every day to defend it. For this reason, according to the climate activist, it is important that as many people as possible take a stand against right-wing extremists. “What is happening right now is what scares the fascists,” she said. Under the motto “Defending democracy”, around thirty protests against right-wing extremism also took place today in Austria, following the call of Friday for Future, which relied on a broad alliance of associations, clubs, organizations and social groups for local organizing work.
The largest event was held in Vienna in the late afternoon in front of the Parliament, where protesters with cell phones and lanterns created an evocative sea of light against the darkness of the lack of democracy. Demonstrations also took place in Tyrol, in Innsbruck and Hall, in Salzburg, St. Pölten, Linz and in many small towns. In Lower Austria alone, 18 were recorded. And it is precisely the small towns that Friday for Future looked at when it launched the appeal for the organization of this type of event at the weekend: now – say the activists – it is no longer a question of size, as happened on the occasion of the large protest in front of the Austrian Parliament on January 26, but to “show strength at all levels, because right-wing extremists, who use all means against climate protection, deny science and have no plan to resolve the crisis climate change, undermine our fundamental democratic values,” said Laila Kriechbaum of Friday for Future Austria, adding: “we must think together about the two crises, that of democracy and that of climate.”
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