Enlarge image
Saxony's Minister of Health Köpping
Photo:
Matthias Rietschel / dpa
After the torchlight march of a few dozen right-wing extremists in front of the home of Saxony's Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD), a number of politicians condemned the incident sharply.
Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann (Greens) spoke of "methods invented by the SA" in memory of the NSDAP's fighting organization.
The authorities would have to take a firm stand against such demonstrators.
"Against them we will know how to prove ourselves to be a defensive democracy."
Enlarge image
Winfried Kretschmann (archive)
Photo:
Thomas Kienzle / AFP
Köpping himself also found clear words.
Objective criticism of the corona measures was completely legitimate, she said, "I'm always ready to talk.
Torch-lit protests in front of my house are disgusting and indecent. "On Friday evening, around 30 opponents of the Corona policy protested with torches, drums and posters in front of the minister's home in Grimma, Saxony, until she had alerted the police.
"Organized Intimidation Attempts"
The protesters are evidently members and sympathizers of the right-wing extremist organization "Free Saxony".
A video on Twitter shows how people gather in front of the house and chant "Peace, freedom, no dictatorship".
Köpping said she knew that these were not protests, but organized attempts to intimidate right-wing extremists and conspiracy believers, which unfortunately happened far too often - in front of doctors' offices, at vaccination centers and hospitals, against mayors and other committed people. Such attempts at intimidation often ended in violence. This is dangerous for each individual and for cohesion.
"I thank you for the many supportive letters and phone calls and I will not be intimidated by the constant rabble and attacks," said the minister.
The currently necessary fight against the corona pandemic is about human lives.
The police have reported the violation of the Assembly Act and are investigating violations of the Corona Ordinance.
According to the regulation, only fixed meetings with a maximum of ten participants are currently allowed in Saxony.
The state is currently particularly hard hit by the corona pandemic.
"We are all by your side"
Numerous politicians showed solidarity with Köpping, including the top SPD leaders. SPD General Secretary Lars Klingbeil said at the party conference in Berlin that the limits of freedom of expression had been exceeded here. It could not be that politicians were threatened and that "right-wing conspirators and oathers" gathered with torches in front of the house of a minister. "That needs an answer with the full rigor of the rule of law, it needs a contradiction of the decent in this country," emphasized Klingbeil. He assured Köpping: "We are all by your side."
SPD leader Norbert Walter-Borjans wrote on Twitter on Saturday: “What happened yesterday in front of Petra Köpping's house has nothing to do with worry and a desire for freedom. This is fascist in its manner and appearance. ”He went on to write:“ Now at the latest, everyone on whose behalf this mob claims to act must clearly demarcate themselves from those who are shaking the very foundations of our democracy. It is no longer the beginning that we have to fight off. "
Behind such protests are people from the circle of lateral thinkers or other radicalizing small groups who do not care about people's health, but who want to stir up and destabilize, according to the SPD leader. Co-party leader Saskia Esken assured Köpping "full solidarity". "Even if the few Hansel try to spread fear and horror: The rational and willing to take responsibility are the great majority, and they are by your side," tweeted Esken.
Borjans later said on "Deutschlandfunk" that it was absolutely shocking because this march in front of the house of the SPD politician in Grimma suggested comparisons to a time in Germany when people had already stood in front of houses with drums and torches. It is only a small minority that is promoting this radicalization. But it is now so far that there is a very clear need for all democrats in the country to distance themselves and to intervene for the forces of law and order.
Saxony's Green Vice-Prime Minister Wolfram Günther spoke of a further breach of taboo with regard to the torch march - »encouraged by the fact that oaths were too often able to roam Saxon cities unhindered.
Corona deniers and the right-wing extremists by their side are getting bolder and more radical ”.
He expects a clear prioritization from the Ministry of the Interior.
The Saxon Left also called on the state government to take stronger action against such incidents.
The parliamentary group leader of the left in the Saxon state parliament, Rico Gebhardt, as well as the state chiefs of the left, Susanne Schaper and Stefan Hartmann, said the march was a clear crossing of borders.
State Interior Minister Roland Wöller (CDU) must finally move from observing to acting.
After the torch protest in front of his cabinet colleague's house, Wöller himself demanded a "clear and rapid signal from the rule of law."
"It is now also important that we find a procedure with the public prosecutor to quickly punish committed violations."
He lacks any understanding when officials and leaders and their families are threatened in their private space.
"It is unbelievable how unrestrained hatred and agitation are spread." This border crossing is also an attempt to delegitimize free democracy.
More civil courage is needed in society.
"Especially in such a crisis we need common values and solidarity."
Saxony wants to further increase protective measures
Saxony's government spokesman Ralph Schreiber said about the events in Grimma that the state government saw it as a border crossing with the aim of intimidating those responsible.
"As a consequence, the protective measures for public officials and their families will be further increased."
In the past few days there had been repeated demonstrations against the Corona policy in several Saxon locations.
The police in Dresden is already preparing for the next major operation on Monday: Then a demonstration against the Corona measures is expected in front of the state parliament.
Parliament wants to decide on the determination of the epidemic situation in the Free State on that day.
With this, the government wants to achieve legal certainty for the continuation of existing protective measures and their possible expansion.
The police announced a "tougher pace" against protests.
She was recently criticized because corona deniers marches were able to take place almost unmolested despite the police presence.
The chairman of the conference of interior ministers, Thomas Strobl (CDU), warned that if a vaccination is compulsory, the protests could become more radical.
According to the intelligence of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, it could be assumed that "compulsory vaccinations reinforce the aggressive attitude of the lateral thinker movement," said the Baden-Württemberg interior minister to the newspapers of the Funke media group.
In the fight against Corona, however, it is right to introduce a general compulsory vaccination.
Most recently, numerous politicians had spoken out in favor of a general compulsory vaccination against Corona.
The likely future Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has announced that it should be voted on in the Bundestag without parliamentary group discipline.
According to government spokesman Steffen Seibert, such a vote could take place at the beginning of the year.
Fok / dpa