Thousands of Munich defied the weather on Friday evening and set a sign against right-wing terrorism, anti-Semitism, racism - and the AfD - on Max-Joseph-Platz.
- Over 7,500 people followed the call for the demo “rushed out”
- Mayor Dieter Reiter and Prime Minister Markus Söder also spoke on Max-Joseph-Platz
- A small group of demonstrators tried to disrupt Soder's speech
Munich - "We have to be careful that the brown poison does not seep into the democratic groundwater," said Söder. A broad alliance of organizations, parties, representatives of civil society and the cultural scene had called for the rally in front of the opera. More than 7,500 people followed the call and filled Max-Joseph-Platz - despite the icy wind and fear of corona.
Söder approaches AfD with sharp words
For Markus Söder, the AfD is the "new NDP"
© Oliver Bodmer
Söder slipped into a new role . A year and a half ago, 130 associations called for the demo under the motto "rushed out" - and explicitly targeted the refugee policy of the CSU. On Friday, Söder approached the AfD with harsh words : This is not a regulars' table of conservatives or a victim of political correctness. Björn Höcke's ethnic wing wanted to go back to the 1930s - that was "a new NPD and nothing else". Söder called on all parties to firmly oppose this: "We have to stick together." A small group of demonstrators tried to disrupt Söder's speech by initially rolling out a banner and chanting "Söder, you son of a dog".
Knobloch calls AfD representatives "the key word for the terrorists"
Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) had also come - just like the chairwoman of the Israelite cultural community Charlotte Knobloch . Reiter called on "to oppose all agitators, all splitters, all racists". Knobloch called AfD representatives "the key word for the terrorists" from Hanau, among others. "They are the arsonists in a country that can hardly keep up with extinguishing." You have to stand together against hatred and tolerance.
The cabaret artists Maxi Schafroth and Simon Pearce were also there. Gerhard Polt was absent due to toothache, Amelie Fried moderated. The organizers around Bellevue-di-Monaco impresario Till Hofmann remarked that the AfD was not an alternative, "but a deadly dead end".
The AfD top candidate in the local elections, Iris Wassil, sees things differently by nature. She had previously described the rally as the "culmination of the agitation".
Because of the corona virus, the derblecken on the Nockherberg must be eliminated. Politicians have already been advised to stay away from the event.
The three Munich OB candidates from the SPD, CSU and Greens presented themselves in our election arena. You can see how they did in the video here.
