Pastor stops Corona walk - even police officers are surprised

Created: 01/19/2022 05:41

By: Josef Ametsbichler

One against many: Pastor Anicet Mutonkole-Muyombi (left) on Monday evening next to police chief Ulrich Milius on the Grafinger church forecourt.

The police led the 250 demonstrators to Öxinger Platz opposite, shouting "Ugh!"

In between the left counter-demonstrators (centre), on the right the stairs blocked with safety tape.

© JOsef Ametsbichler

The pastor stopped a protest march of around 250 Corona demonstrators through downtown Grafing (Ebersberg district) shortly before the end - to the surprise of everyone involved.

Grafing/district

– Neither the “corona walkers” nor the police had expected the Grafing pastor on Monday.

When the unannounced demonstration, which supposedly isn't one, was supposed to end at the church square at around 6:30 p.m., as usual, the stairs there were cordoned off with red and white warning tape.

Behind him stood the pastor.

"I want Brunnenplatz to remain free of political opinions," Pastor Anicet Mutonkole-Muyombi told EZ the following day.

The blocking action was not intended as a sign specifically against the "walkers", but generally against political protest directly in front of the church.

Pastor stops unannounced demo train: praise and criticism from the police chief

His position was backed by the parish council on site – and even earned the pastor praise from Ebersberg's police chief Ulrich Milius: "It's nice that the pastor is showing the flag in this situation." From a "tactical point of view", however, it was for them Officials had been difficult, which Milus in turn explained to the pastor, combined with the request that he should contact the authorities in advance in the future. The place is finally public and cannot simply be cordoned off.

The police, with around half a dozen forces on site, redirected the around 250 participants to Öxinger Platz opposite – which some of the crowd acknowledged with “Ugh!” shouts at the pastor.

The evening ended peacefully with the "walkers" intoning the song "The thoughts are free", accompanied by loud protests from about half a dozen left-wing counter-demonstrators.

Corona protests also in other municipalities in the Ebersberg district

In Ebersberg, EZ counted around 75 Corona walkers.

The police reported 86 and 60 “Monday walkers” from Vaterstetten and Markt Schwaben.

An organizer was nowhere to be seen.

You can read more news from the Ebersberg region here.

By the way: everything from the region is also available in our regular Ebersberg newsletter.