Leipzig expects protests from right and left on Monday

Created: 04/09/2022 17:02

The member of the Bundestag Sören Pellmann stands at the lectern.

© Martin Schutt/dpa/archive image

A number of demonstrations in the trade fair city have been registered for Monday.

Left and right want to protest against the government - and possibly against each other.

Berlin/Leipzig - When the left starts its "hot autumn" in Leipzig on Monday with protests against the government, there could be a lot going on on the streets of the trade fair city.

A total of seven rallies from left and right have been announced for the afternoon and evening

including one by the far-right splinter party Freie Sachsen.

This wants to run up right next to the left on the central Augustusplatz, specifically with the slogan "Together against those above".

The Saxon Office for the Protection of the Constitution does not rule out confrontations between the various camps.

The left wants nothing to do with community.

The organizer of the demo, Sören Pellmann, a member of the Bundestag in Leipzig and the left-wing faction's representative for the East, not only categorically distanced himself from right-wing protests, he also filed a complaint against the Free Saxons because they had used his name in the title of the demo.

Pellmann has taken legal action against the use of his name in the Free Saxony appeal.

The district court of Leipzig prohibited the adoption of his name.

"Now also legally clarified: provocation and fake news stopped by the right!" Pellmann tweeted.

The left-wing politician has announced his demo under the slogan "Hot autumn against social cold" for Monday evening (7 p.m.).

Official title: “Prices down – energy and food must be affordable!” There, among others, Left Party leader Martin Schirdewan and the former parliamentary group leader Gregor Gysi are to appear.

3000 to 4000 participants are expected.

The event “Free Saxons support the Monday protest by Sören Pellmann and the left – together against those above” is registered at the same place and at the same time.

The district association of the right-wing AfD is also organizing an action a little further away.

In addition, other left-wing demos are at the start.

Left-wing extremists are also expected.

The Leipzig police are preparing for a larger operation.

It could also be about keeping the participants in the various demos and the political camps apart, said a spokesman.

He did not want to disclose the number of emergency services.

Support comes from the federal police and the riot police.

The Office for the Protection of the Constitution considers the situation in terms of ideological assignment to be confusing, and a high degree of emotionalization is also evident.

Various extremist actors in Saxony tried to instrumentalize inflation and the energy crisis for their agenda - above all the Free Saxony.

They tried to take up the topic of "autumn of anger".

The left emphasizes that it does not want to leave anti-government protests to the right.

When groups like the Freie Sachsen tried to get involved, it was "a helpless attempt by the right to somehow play a role," Pellmann told the German Press Agency.

“The panic must be great on the right if they want to crawl under the skirts of the left.

Leipzig will not leave Monday to the right.” Democratic resistance is needed against high energy prices and “the simultaneous arrogance of traffic lights”.

Pellmann himself was criticized for using the term "Monday Demo".

This is considered a symbol of the peaceful revolution in the GDR in 1989, which was directed against the SED and thus against a precursor party of the left.

The Leipzig Greens complained that Pellmann and the left were forgetful of history and accepted "that right-wing appropriations of the Monday demonstrations in the center of the city could become socially acceptable".

dpa