"Walk" and counter-demonstration in Landsberg's city center

Created: 2022-01-25Updated: 2022-01-25 10:29 am

By: Susanne Greiner, Dieter Roettig

The “walkers” (left) were guided around the counter-demonstrators on the main square by the police.

© Greiner

District – In the end it almost had the character of a 'siege': The participants in the registered demonstration of the "Alliance for Democracy and Solidarity" stayed at a distance and masked on the main square until almost all participants of the unregistered "walk" had gone. Around 350 "walkers" had previously gathered on the hospital square, chanting and singing slogans. The police rigorously stopped their attempts to get to the main square. According to the police, up to 1,000 people took part in the “walk” announced in Telegram groups beforehand, and the police counted up to 200 participants in the counter-demonstration.

What the counter-demonstrators wanted to express on the main square became clear in several speeches. Landsberg's second mayor Moritz Hartmann (Greens) emphasized that society was "far from a split", but that he saw a threat to the rule of law in the "lateral thinkers", a "small but loud minority". He does not want to lump all participants of the "walks" together, but they should not forget that the right-wing extremist party "Der III. way” call for participation. Since the "walks" are not registered, there is no opportunity to distance oneself from the right. A demo with the currently high incidence numbers is actually not wise, concluded Hartmann. "But we have to send a clear signal for non-violent solidarity".

Ex-OB Ingo Lehmann (SPD) expressed respect and thanks for everyone working in the medical field, but also thought of those who suffered from the corona measures. Like ex-OB Franz Xaver Rößle (UBV), he called for vaccination. Third Mayor Felix Bredschneijder (SPD) agreed. Member of the state parliament Gabriele Triebel (Greens) emphasized the existence of the Basic Law, despite numerous measures to contain the pandemic. "Weighing up in relation to fundamental rights and the exchange of various opinions works." By registering this demonstration, you take the "right to demonstrate". That also means taking responsibility and saying publicly what you stand for. The “walkers” refused this transparency, which is why right-wing groups could also intervene."This followerism is irresponsible and endangers democracy."

Individual citizens and a member of "The Party" also expressed their views. In contrast to the approximately 1,000 “walkers”, the latter referred to the up to 4,000 people who were boosted in the district every week: “Get vaccinated. The WiFi isn't any better afterwards, but you keep a bed free in the ICU.”

The critics of the Corona measures initially gathered in two groups, at the main square and at the Park+Ride car park in the east of Landsberg. The police forces led the procession of more than 1,000 "walkers" twice past the edge of the main square and the counter-demonstrators who flanked the main square and through downtown Landsberg. During the procession of the critics of the measures, the doctor's song "Schrei nach Liebe" resounded from a house on the main square, in the window of which the poster "Think more instead of lateral thinking". A third attempt to get to the main square was stopped by the police.

Overall, the vaccination and corona measures critics were louder than before.

In the old town they chanted "All together: for freedom!" When passing the counter-demonstrators on the main square, insults were heard, the counter-demonstrators booed the "walkers".

On the hospital square, the critics of the measures sang the national anthem and, as previously agreed, the canon "Dona Nobis Pacem".

The counter-demonstrators countered this with songs such as the lullaby “La-Le-Lu” or “Wandering is the miller’s delight”.

The general decree was not lifted in Dießen, so unregistered demonstrations were prohibited in the core area of ​​the community.

Around 50 people came to the registered counter-demonstration of the Wednesday disco.

© Roettig

Demo in Diessen

The general decree (AV) for Landsberg, which had banned unannounced demonstrations in the city center that evening, was lifted due to the urgent application of a "Monday stroll" before the Munich Administrative Court. In Dießen, however, it remained valid. According to the court, this decision to set aside applies only to one plaintiff. The authorities would have to answer the question of whether legal consequences could be imposed on others. Since the plaintiff had not stated that he wanted to take part in a meeting in Dießen, the administrative court rejected his urgent application.

In Dießen, around 50 people took part in the counter-demonstration of the “Wednesday disco” at a distance and with a mask.

A nurse spontaneously grabbed the microphone and said that at the beginning of the pandemic he was skeptical about vaccination for fear of side effects.

Because his mother was ill, he had now been vaccinated and was very happy about it.

His loud statement: "Go vaccinate!"

According to the Landsberg police forces and the riot police, Monday evening in Landsberg and Dießen was without incident.

The strategy was replanned and implemented in Landsberg after the AV was abolished.

The waiver of the Landsberg counter-demonstrators on the actually planned train to Waitzinger Wiese had been coordinated with the police and district office.