NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #26/NN_1992_26.iso/spool/misc/activism/progress/8355

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posted by: AF/ATS
--

GOVERNMENTAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST "XENOPHOBIA" WENT AMISS

On November 8th, a>
Date: 13 Nov 92 14:55:00 MET
Subject: Demo 8. Nov. 1992 - Berlin
To: [e-mail]

## Nachricht vom 13.11.92 weitergeleitet
## Ursprung : /ECN/ANTIFA
## Ersteller: [e-mail]

GOVERNMENTAL DEMONSTRATION AGAINST "XENOPHOBIA" WENT AMISS

On November 8th, a mass demonstration under the slogan "the
dignity of a human being is untouchable" took place with 200.000
- 300.000 participants in Berlin. (First section of the German
constitution).The call for the demonstration came from all
established political parties and a broad range of associations,
trade unions etc.. Only the extremely reactionary Bavarian
sister-party of the CDU - the CSU - had refused to participate.

Following the example of french president Mitterand, Kohl wanted
to put himself in the frontline  of a demonstration with an
unspecified humanitarien issue, after neo-nazis had committed an
arson attack on the memorial place of the former concentration
camp of Sachsenhausen.

The fact that in previous years Kohl had actively worked to
abolish the right to political asylum and thereby fanned the
racism among the german population, sealed his fate.

Just the week before, in Bonn a debate was initiated by his
party how to abolish the right to asylum by emergency law, a
treaty with Romania went into effect concerning the extradition
of tens of thousands of Roma and Sinti (`gypsies') to Romania in
exchange for 30 million DM.

Thus the two marches, ending with a rally in the Lustgarten,
became a manifestation against the hypocritical government
policy, a protest against the abolition of the right to asylum,
partly even an angry response to the state racism and the tacid
complicity between politicians and neo-nazi-thugs and fascist
skinheads.

The image of the demonstration was dominated by anti-racist and
anti-government banners. Anti-racist organisations and groups
pointed out in variety of symbolic actions that the character of
the demonstration was hypocritical and were supported by an ever
growing mass of participants. Politicians trying to participate
in the demonstration were showered with abuses and "Hypocrite,
hypocrite!"-calls. Kohl's attempt at marching with the
demonstration was stopped by angry protests and some flying eggs
after a few meters.

In the Lustgarten the determined enemies of the state's policy
towards foreigners gathered in front of the stage on which
President Weizsaecker was supposed to speak.
After a "citizen of Quedlinburg (town in ex-GDR where attacks on
a refugee shelter took place for some days) bearing witness to
"moral courage" the former officer of the Wehrmacht Weizsaecker
tried to speak. His first attempt failed because of the
inexplicable break-down of the sound equipment, the rest of his
shortened speech was nearly drowned out in a wave of yells and
whistles and the parole "Extradition is torture, extradition is
murder, Right to stay for all immediately". Following some
flying eggs cops entered the stage to protect "their" president
from more stains on his coat. More cops appeared in front of the
stage and baton-charged the mass of people in order to create
some distance between the politiciians on stage and the leftist
trouble-makers. With the Manifestation nearly at its end some
objects were thrown in response, some skirmish went on for a
little while.

The german goverment attempted to show to the international
comunity, that the German "Volksgemeinschaft" doesn't have any
problems with deporting thousands of asylumseekers, ignoring the
racist murders of eleven immigrants and refugees, and at the
same time demonstrating in a joint fashion against 'Xenophobia'
on Sunday. This show failed because of the thousands of angry
people shouting "Hypocrites, hypocrites!".

The ruling politicians and their media puppets foamed with rage
accordingly that evening in the mass-media. The clamour against
"well organized, little Terror-troops", some hundred "thugs",
who ruined the staged, peacefull event with pure violence, was
as overwhelming as untenable. One day later,no one talked about
stones anymore, maybe because not one photo could be found to
prove violence by the protesters, maybe because of politicians
only lamenting over some yolk on their jackets. Already nothing
happend from THAT side, but the whole world was made to believe:
A handful of thugs in an orgy of hatred drowned a peaceful
manifestation for humanity.

The few arrested protesters (14), who hardly can be punished,
now have to bear the brunt of the state's fury. Well knowing,
that they won't be able to put them in jail (most of them were
set free again already), the cops let them feel their rage. One
of their lawyers reported, that he himself was showered with
hatred in a way he had never experienced before. According to
some mass-media editorials, now even public statements in favour
of the actions should be defined as "criminal" and be punished