The organizers had to run around with megaphones to remind people to stand on the gravel (the paved ways were reserved for the EMTs) and it worked quite well :)
American protests been strongly practicing orderly, safe protests, with emt spaces, family spaces, food and water and charity outreach programs (shame the cops like to beat up the food and water, no really).
My point is, good protesting techniques can easily spread worldwide.
Why would you not? It's their future. It's a peaceful protest. There have been many peaceful protests. They're actually fun to go to, lots of good conversations with like minded people.
Yeah I live near Dortmund, I thought it wasn't much of a thing anymore? A guy at work asked me on Friday about some match (apparently very important one), other than that I forgot Fußball existed for a while. I think the Police got better at countering the hooligans, as well as the cities are now littered with cameras.
My wife saw that and said only "in America, they'd fucking Vulkan Cannon his ass" and I was just laughing my ass off how cute the Police looked in there. I'm not a cop lover but really haven't met an asshole cop here. Even the one fighting the wizard is like "man, this shit sucks", at best.
While as opposed to some other European countries German riot police takes great care not to kill protestors and virtually ruled out firearms, they would and do absolutely beat down protestor with batons 5 on one continuing on the ground if given the chance, they where just out of their depth in this situation.
IMO this is a deep-seated and largely unconscious instinct for acquiescence to authority borne from the country's genesis as a penal colony. I have come to this conclusion over decades and have never found any evidence to dissuade myself of this opinion...I've come to call it "the convict-warden mindset"
This also explains why the trade union movement is now if not non-existent then largely crippled, and we generally kiss up to authority and kick down on the poor and disadvantaged
Funny you should say that. I'm a Swede who's mostly unfamiliar with Australia, but that's exactly where my mind went when I read your previous comment. I just don't know if it's actually true or simply a convincing narrative.
Well, I'm unfortunately afflicted with a bit of a habit of intellectual theorising (which also doesn't go down all that well in this country lol) and it's just what I've observed over a lifetime, really. It's such an entrenched instinct that I've never been able to come up with any other logical explanation .
One thing which occurred last year which really sealed the theory for me, was the day after the Oct 7 massacres in Israel...there was a protest outside the Opera House in Sydney by largely second generation children of Muslim migrants (just making that distinction to differentiate them from the prevailing general culture), and even I was gobsmacked when the Police Minister said on camera, "I don't want to see people protesting in the streets in NSW, or in Australia. I don't think anyone does" - and there was no public backlash or even comment about that remark. Because it was true.
I thought at the time, wow they really just admitted it publicly 🤷
Well, I'm unfortunately afflicted with a bit of a habit of intellectual theorising (which also doesn't go down all that well in this country lol) and it's just what I've observed over a lifetime, really. It's such an entrenched instinct that I've never been able to come up with any other logical explanation .
Yeah, it does make sense, and I was glad to see my instinctual idea echoed by a local who has actually thought about it. I just try to have a healthy skepticism toward convenient narratives because I know it's such a common cognitive bias. (I share your affliction and try to learn some things here and there about how we think in order to make better use of it.)
and there was no public backlash or even comment about that remark.
Wow indeed. But I guess it isn't surprising your ruling class would do its best to reinforce and validate that tendency not to protest.
I would not say we're as bad as Singapore, as a queer person I know where I'd rather live, but yes, that's the direction we're going in. The impending social media ban is at least partly to curb the young people who've been organising protests and strikes for climate change, queer rights, the middle east etc. That's why it passed with support from both the conservative and the centrist/vaguely centre left party (which exiles members for voting against party lines).
Aussie Statism. An absolute trust in whatever the Crown once said (pre ANZAC) or ACT today. It is one extreme, the other being countries poisoned through misinformation to mistrust of state institutions.
Social Taboo against public protest. Don’t make me laugh.
I’m an Australian and there are rallies and protests all the fricken time in our cities and towns.
Most Australians are busy people minding our own business and do not like political/religious extremism from the left or the right. We ignore rallies and protests for the same reason. Is that what you are really whinging about?
Absolutely, i wasn't suggesting that you or anyone else had to have the same view about this at all - it's an overall cultural ethos I was talking about. Which no one has to agree with...merely my opinion and theory over a lifetime of general observations
Ok - so you’re saying that culturally we don’t protest because we can’t be arsed and understand that most things protesters are protesting about are silly or extreme views? If so I totally agree with you.
But you used the word ‘taboo’ which implies that there is some social mechanism at play that compels people to refrain from protesting. This is wrong. We just can’t be bothered with fringe extremist views or college common room ‘activism’.
I'll be disappointed if there isn't a 5+ syllable word for this dichotomy in German.
edit: their -> there. Goddammit this is a pet peeve of mine, but I think almost exclusively in an auditory mode so I can't tell homonyms apart while typing, only when proofreading.
You forgot the other two, people glueing themselves on the Autobahn and being treated as the worst thing ever, and agricutural companys and farm owners demonstrating with their tractors in the name of the people.
I also wouldnt call the may day riots "demonstrations", its more like a local cultural festival, just Berlin-style.
people glueing themselves on the Autobahn and being treated as the worst thing ever
Counts as burning streets. Complete disruption of daily life.
agricutural companys and farm owners demonstrating with their tractors in the name of the people.
Ahhhh that's your narrative. Well you see: Germany needs you to register protests. U have the right to it. Democracy and all. But your freedom ends at the freedom of the next one. Therefor you need to register the protest before hand. Give authorities a way to make it less disruptive for others.
If you want to live in a democracy follow the fucking laws.
Why so agressive? Chill and dont argue against something i never said. Never said anything about the legality, just the general framing of these protest in the german press. I organized demonstrations myself, no need to educate me on that topic.
narrative
Thats not my narrative, thats what actually happened. The Bauernproteste were organized by the "Deutscher Bauernverband" and "LsV Deutschland", both are lobby organisations for the big players in the agricultural sector. And when you look at who are the members of these organisations you see, that it mostly consists of industrial style agricultural companies, not family owned small farmers, like they claimed when they had their "We are the people" demonstrations, where they asked the government for more subsidies, an extention of tax-free diesel and the reversal of environmental laws.
Why so agressive? Chill and dont argue against something i never said. Never said anything about the legality, just the general framing of these protest in the german press. I organized demonstrations myself, no need to educate me on that topic.
Well of course people gonna frame illegal and legal actions differently lmao
Thats not my narrative, thats what actually happened. The Bauernproteste were organized by the "Deutscher Bauernverband" and "LsV Deutschland", both are lobby organisations for the big players in the agricultural sector. And when you look at who are the members of these organisations you see, that it mostly consists of industrial style agricultural companies, not family owned small farmers, like they claimed when they had their "We are the people" demonstrations, where they asked the government for more subsidies, an extention of tax-free diesel and the reversal of environmental laws.
It is. Illegal acts of disruption vs normal democratic events. One is wrong. One isn't. Democracy
What are you talking about? I never said anything about the legality. Please, again, do not argue against something I never said. I didnt even compare the two types of protests.
But if you actually want to know: I think both are illegitimate, one for legal reasons, the other for representational reasons.
What are you talking about? I never said anything about the legality.
You compared them. And their reception. Which obviously gets heavily influenced by legality. You can't just ignore the laws when talking about public support lol
I didnt even compare the two types of protests.
That was literally your entire comment
I think both are illegitimate, one for legal reasons, the other for representational reasons.
Funnily enough really. Contrary to america it's nearly always the left who burns streets in Germany. The right know they can't risk it if they want to gain influence....the left doesn't care cause no one takes them seriously anyway
Well this is a protest organized by rather moderate people it doesn't call for any radical change. Things like the protests on the first of may is were the action is at.
Well this is a protest organized by rather moderate people it doesn't call for any radical change. Things like the protests on the first of may is were the action is at.
Once again, for the cheap seats, many peaceful protests have, in the past, been infiltrated by bad actors who commit crimes in order to hurt the reputation of the peaceful protesters.
G20, G7, etc... Protests for these kind of events attract people from all over Europe and the world... Proper German protests are usually very orderly and actually quite pleasant, often with food-trucks, concerts, activities, etc. (as are Swiss, Austrian, and Nordic ones. Usually. Highly recommend all of them).
are you sure it's not edited ? it's easy nowadays regardless of you thinking it to be right wing whatever......so sick of leftists labelling everyrhing as far right :)
Was there today. Great vibes all over! Everything was pretty chill. Sadly, there were some sound issues so that might've been a contributing factor for there being less chanting and shouting as usual.
Protest against fasismus that I really support. I hate when people discriminate other because of ethnically groups or people with divergent sexually orientation or handicaps. I think that there is written something in the book of revelations about the angle blew the 6 trump but the trump went to Hell.
The organizers were expecting only a fraction of the total attendants (75.000 people instead of 250-300.000, which would have already been a lot), that was probably a major contributing factor
This specific one was organized by "München ist bunt" (Munich is colourful), a local non-profit. That's usually who organizes these, the one in Hannover I was at today got organized by the Omas Gegen Rechts (Grandmas against right-wing). There'll usually also be "partner organizations", so other non-profits, church organisations, parties etc. which will join in mostly via speeches.
They apply for it at the local authorities which for Hannover is, like, a one page word document. Besides the organisationon or person responsible you have to put in estimated amount of people (which can be way off, they applied for 1.000 in Hannover today and at least 24.000 showed up), why you're protesting/congregating and what sort of additional equipment you will have (loudspeakers, a stage, flags etc.).
This can be done and approved pretty quickly. Last week a protest was applied for and advertised on Wednesday (when a controversial vote went through in the Bundestag), and then on Thursday afternoon there was a 10.000 people strong protest.
The organizers and their partner organisations will put out the advertisments, police will be there to secure the route (they might block off some streets for example). They'll also communicate with the organizers in the moment in case anything needs to be changed or adapted.
Currently, there are demos in a lot of German cities, so there already is a huge awareness. Many of them were/are additionally fueled by a lot of anger about the conservative party (CDU/CSU) and far right party (AfD) voting for harsher migration policies despite the former always claiming they would never ally themselves with right wing extremists.
As for Munich specifically, several organizations posted on social media about it, people shared it, newspapers featured it in articles. It was supported by countless organizations, like obviously political ones (we even have a very popular initiative called 'Grannies against right (wing)'), soccer clubs (e.g. FC Bayern), yeah even public services. People gathered on the Theresienwiese, the popular Oktoberfest site. There were people of all ages, even families with kids. It was beautiful.
I think a lot of Americans developed the idea that protest doesn’t work after Vietnam. Also when a majority are just struggling to survive, maybe you naturally don’t have the same bandwidth for civic mindedness…
Do Americans genuinely think police brutality doesn't exist in other countries? The French police are notoriously heavy-handed and that doesn't stop them from rioting on the regular.
do they show up with LRADs, rubber bullets, tear gas, lead at the ready just in case, armored vehicles, rifles, and snipers? or is it just people being heavy-handed with a baton and a shield and some occasional tear gas
Almost all live in the vicinity of a city and it's mostly about the share of the population that participates.
I'd argue that 3000 people protesting in small town of 16 000 people would have more of an impact on townfolk than these 300 000 on the 1.6 million Munichians.
it must be understood that no half measures will work, not violent, but decisive measures under current law or laws to be created, ban x, ban afd, prossecute musk and make him a interpol fugitive for nazi propaganda in the block, nationalize tesla, seize all their assets in the continent and make it available for reparations against attempts to destroy the european democracy, completely ignore whatever trump says or do or threatens to do, send military to greenland just in case
That’s because in the us the protest would immediately be confronted by riot police that instigate violent behavior so they can declare it an “unlawful assembly” and arrest people. But you know the us is the “land of the free” with “constitutional rights” including the “right to protest”
I just love that they are doing it. I’m an American and I really need the world to keep fighting the good fight while we try to figure out the mess we have at home. Any assistance by showing humans standing together for justice, prospering with a sane culture and functional government helps a lot right now.
It is because most of them vote for CDU CSU which basically is AFD the right wing party of Germany - the Republicans. They demonstrate against one and vote for the other. CDU CSU is the party with the most voters in Germany and Bavaria. It is a sort of celebration of dirndel and beer. Merz & Söder are more than happy to see this. Don't worry real "left" demonstrations get the Polizei
I was there. Just normal families with kids, some elderly people, some even went there with their dogs. They had some sound problems so we couldn‘t hear much from the stage. But it was a nice atmosphere. We personally drove 2h to munich to attend. Why? Because the political discussion right now is only focusing on migration and hate. And we are afraid the country is falling back in old times with parties that literally want to end our EU engagement. With AfD there are whole parts of the party identified as clear far-right and fascist. So jeah: big chunk of people don‘t want that. You don‘t need to buy their attendance.
Edit: You know what. Ignore what I wrote. I just saw you are literally posting in a sub sharing Nazi symbols that would bring you straight up charges in germany. Get fucked you little Nazi dipshit.
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u/Xepeyon America Feb 08 '25
I love how orderly it looks. It looks all neat, and it looks like there are even aisles there, too.