Second Peace Missive from Germany

Freiberg, Germany

By Luke Brooks-Shesler (Mainer who is living in Germany for next year)

Greetings from Germany! Here is my second peace missive from Freiburg Germany. We have had many peace protests since my first peace missive, but I wanted to share with you my impressions from the Tri-National Peace Protest, October 21, 2023 in Weil am Rhein, Germany on October 21, 2023. At the bottom of this post I have also included a few words about our peace march through Freiburg on Saturday, November 11, 2023.

Tri-National Peace Protest, October 21, 2023

Originally scheduled as a march through Germany, France and Switzerland, the tri-national peace protest on October 21, 2023 became a gathering of 400 protestors fenced off within a small park in Weil am Rhein, Germany. There was no march through France, Germany and Switzerland. Fearing national unrest related to the Israel – Palestine conflict, Switzerland outlawed the peace protest. France declared a state of emergency and revoked permission for the protest in France, citing a recent knife attack said to be related to the Israel – Palestine conflict. The German mayor of Weil am Rhein said that he could not think of any reason why he should cancel the protest, so we were still able to hold the protest in Germany. Numerous protestors suspected that France and Switzerland used the Israel – Palestine conflict as a pretext for banning the protest.

When I arrived at the protest, two members of Die Linke, a left-leaning German political party, carried large red signs that read “National Socialism does not belong in Germany” (Der Nationalsozialismus gehoert nicht zu Deutschland) and “If Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) is the answer, then how dumb was the question” (Wenn AfD die Antwort ist – wie dumm war dann die Frage). AfD is an up-and-coming German political party that opposes the war in Ukraine, argues that immigration should be curtailed drastically, and supports free speech. Many in Germany consider the AfD to be a far-right political party. In July, a German court ruled that the AfD could be a threat to democracy and the party was put under official government surveillance.

At the beginning of the protest, a Swiss group, called Freunde der Trychler (“Friends of the Cowbell Ringers”), paraded into the park bearing enormous cowbells on wooden stocks across their shoulders that made a deafening cowbell sound.

Shortly after 2pm, the official start of the peace protest, approximately 30 or 40 mostly black-clad people, many of whom wore pandemic-style face-masks, gathered across the street behind a line of police in riot gear. One of the protestors told me that these were Antifa. Approximately 50 police officers, maybe more, separated Antifa and the peace protestors on opposite sides of the street. The police officers near Antifa side wore their riot helmets. Antifa occasionally scuffled with them. The police officers on the peace protest side of the street stood casually with their helmets in their hands and their backs to the peace protestors, and chatted amongst themselves as their colleagues on the other side of the street wrangled with Antifa.

Most of the Antifa members appeared to be in their 20s, although people who appeared to be in their 30s, 40s and 50s mingled with them. The peace protestors were mostly white-haired people over 50. The juxtaposition of older, white-haired peace protestors being heckled by black-clad, masked 20-somethings was jarring. In the 1960s, the college-age generation protested against the Vietnam War. These days, the college-age youth protest in favor of the governments that support the war in Ukraine.

The peace protestors held signs that said:

• “For peace, freedom and social safety. Will you join us?” (Fuer Frieden und Freiheit. Soziale Sicherheit. Gehst du mit?”)

• “Peace with Russia” (Frieden mit Russland)

• “Diplomats instead of grenades.” (Diplomaten statt Granaten.)

Antifa held signs that said “Rechtsradikalismus ist keine Alternative (The radical right is no alternative)” and other anti-Nazi phrases. One Antifa person wore a backpack that said “FCK NZS.” Perhaps the Antifa people were unaware that one of the many reasons that people protest the war in Ukraine is that they do not want to send money and weapons to Ukrainian Nazis. (In 2018, the US Congress passed a bill explicitly forbidding the funding and arming of Ukrainian Nazis: https://khanna.house.gov/media/in-the-news/congress-bans-arms-ukraine-militia-linked-neo-nazis

 

The peace protestors had set up a small stage that hosted a line-up of speakers and musicians. As the speakers delivered their speeches, Antifa heckled them. A person who appeared to be a woman of color in her 20s, shouted “Halt’s Maul!” and “Halt die Fresse!,” which are variations on “Shut up!” When one of the Antifa members was arrested, the Antifa people chanted:

 

• No fear
• Be clear
• Refugees are welcome here

Shortly before 4:30pm, the official end of the peace protest, the police officers ushered Antifa from the premises in what appeared to be a choreographed movement. The officers lined up, made a few sharp steps forward, and Antifa melted away past the parked police vans. Antifa was not seen again.

I found it a bit uncanny that Antifa arrived seemingly out of nowhere at the start of the peace protest and then dissolved just as suddenly right before the end of the peace protest. A protestor told me that they believe that Antifa is paid by the government to disrupt protests against the government.

 Peace march through Freiburg on Saturday, November 11, 2023

On Saturday, November 11, 2023, approximately 75 people participated in a peace march, which is the largest protest that I have seen in Freiburg since I arrived here in August. The peace protest included people who opposed the government restrictions during covid and who are skeptical of the covid vaccines’ efficacy and safety. We marched through Freiburg’s old city center. During our protest we crossed paths with a pro-Palestine protest of approximately 30 people.

 

 

The banner in Freiburg reads: Enough! We are one human family. Peace Negotiations Now!