Two coalitions in Berlin and Dresden are calling for spontaneous demonstrations on Sunday following an attack on EU Parliament Member Matthias Ecke in Dresden. The coalitions, “Together against the Right” and “We are the Firewall Dresden,” released calls for the demonstrations on their Instagram channels under the motto “Violence has no place in our democracy.” The protests are scheduled to take place in Berlin at 6:00 pm in front of the Brandenburg Gate and in Dresden at 5:00 pm at Pohlandplatz. Ecke, the Saxony SPD candidate for the European elections, was assaulted by four unknown individuals while hanging up campaign posters and is currently hospitalized and in need of surgery.
The attack on Ecke is part of a series of assaults on politicians and campaign workers across Germany leading up to the municipal and European elections on June 9. Prior to the incident in Dresden, a 28-year-old campaign worker for the Greens had also been attacked and injured by the same group of individuals. Just the day before, following a Green Party event in Essen, Bundestag Deputy Kai Gehring and his colleague Rolf Fliß claimed they were attacked, resulting in Fliß being hit. The coalitions calling for the demonstrations are stressing the importance of standing together as a democratic civil society and denouncing violence against political activists. They emphasize that no one should fear for their safety simply for being politically engaged or active in a political party, and that they will not let democracy be destroyed by violence.
The nationwide protests against the far-right in February were triggered by revelations from Correctiv Media about a meeting of radical right-wing individuals in Potsdam, which included members of the AfD, CDU, and the conservative Werteunion. At the meeting, former leader of the far-right Identitarian Movement in Austria, Martin Sellner, reportedly discussed the concept of “Remigration.” When used by extremists, “Remigration” typically refers to the forced expulsion of a large number of individuals of foreign origin from the country. The call for the demonstrations is a response to rising far-right extremism and the escalating attacks on politicians and campaign workers leading up to the elections.
The attacks on politicians and campaign workers have raised concerns about the safety of those involved in the political process and the importance of upholding democratic values. The demonstrations planned for Sunday in Berlin and Dresden aim to bring attention to the issue of political violence and send a strong message that violence has no place in democracy. The coalitions organizing the protests are calling for unity among the public in standing against extremism and ensuring that individuals are able to participate in the political process without fear of harm. The incidents in Dresden and other cities underscore the need for vigilance and a collective commitment to protecting democratic principles in the face of rising political tensions and violence.
