Rock for Germany

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Under the mottos " Rock against War " and " Rock for Germany ", events with a festival character have taken place annually since 2003 in Gera, East Thuringia , with speakers from the spectrum of the National Democratic Party of Germany and the Free Comradeships as well as several right-wing rock bands and songwriters occur that attract thousands of right-wing extremist guests from all over Germany and neighboring countries. According to the Office for the Protection of the Constitution 2007 by the Thuringian Ministry of the Interior, the events serve the efforts of the right-wing extremist scene to “win more participants for high-profile actions of the party, to increase the acceptance of the NPD in the action-oriented right-wing extremist spectrum and to show a greater public presence”, and they have one "High priority" within the scene.

history

After the Thuringian National Association of the NPD was able to hold large right-wing rock events with several hundred right-wing extremist participants disguised as political events in Jena in 2002 and in Gotha in 2003, largely undisturbed by protests and without intervention by the police, with the festival series " Thuringian Day of National Youth " First picked up in 2003 by the NPD district association Gera. The city of Gera has been a stronghold of the right-wing extremist music scene since the 1990s, where several well-known bands such as Totenburg and Eugenik , labels and music distributors such as Donnerschlag Records (DSR), Ewiges Eis Records (formerly 88 Records , "88" stands for " Heil Hitler ”, see right-wing extremist symbols and signs ) or riot dispatch as well as shops for clothing and devotional items of the neo-Nazi scene are at home. Its members, operators and employees are often active in the scene of the Free Comradeships or the NPD. Several of them, including Jörg Krautheim, Nico Hüfner, Gordon Richter, Martin Soa (owner of dirty shirt) and Andre Berghold are even active on the board of the regional or district association.

Rock Against War 2003 and 2004

For the first time such an event took place on June 21, 2003 in the Geraer Park der Jugend ( Bone Park ) under the motto “Rock against War” . The district association Gera-Greiz of the NPD and Free National Forces Gera were named as the organizer. In addition to the Thuringian state chairman of the NPD, Frank Schwerdt, the right-wing rock bands Kommando Ost (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), THOR (Schneeberg / Saxony), Confident of Victory (Brandenburg) and Eugenik appeared. Up to 200 right-wing extremists watched the concert largely unmolested by protests. Since the NPD Gera could rate this as a success, there was a new edition on July 10th, 2004, this time with five bands, among them again Eugenik and Blood Revenge from Westphalia. With around 150 participants, however, the number of visitors remained far below expectations.

Rock for Germany 2005–2009

On July 9, 2005, the concert under the new motto “Rock for Germany” was the official start of the NPD's election campaign for the early federal elections in 2005 and was sometimes referred to as a replacement event for the failed “Press Festival of the German Voice ”. As speakers, therefore, in addition to Frank Schwerdt and the neo-Nazi Michael Burkert , who had recently risen to chair of the newly founded NPD district association Erfurt-Gotha, the party leader Udo Voigt and the Bavarian NPD state chairman Ralf Ollert appeared. In addition, the bands Kraftschlag , Propaganda and Legion of Thor were announced as draft horses of the right-wing rock scene, which often have close ties to the banned organization Blood and Honor . However, the bands had to cancel their appearances in part due to requirements imposed by the city of Gera. Ultimately, the bands Radikahl , Hauptkampflinie and Eugenik played in front of about 500 to 700 guests. 300 to 400 people demonstrated against the NPD Open Air. As in previous years, there was also a citizens' festival with several democratic parties, trade unions, the churches and other organizations and associations, which around 600 citizens attended.

On July 11, 2009, 4,000 guests gathered. The bands performed include Die Lunikoff Conspiracy , Sleipnir , Brainwash and Blitzkrieg. The counter-event was able to mobilize around 700 people nationwide.

8. Rock for Germany 2010

The eighth Rock-for-Germany event took place on July 10, 2010 . According to the police, around 1,200 right-wing extremist people took part. The counter-demonstration was able to mobilize around 1,100 people. Frank Schwerdt and Michael Schäfer from the NPD were speakers . The musical framework program included Frontalkraft , Projekt Vril and Carpe Diem . During the performance of the band Excess there was occasional demonstration of the Hitler salute .

9. Rock for Germany 2011

On August 6, 2011 the ninth edition of the festival took place. Around 550 neo-Nazis visited the festival. Brutal Attack , Burning Hate and Natural Born Haters , among others, performed as background music ; the headliner was the right-wing extremist band Radikahl . The speakers were the NPD members Holger Apfel , Ingmar Knop , Patrick Weber , Patrick Wieschke and Gordon Richter . There were strong protests against the festival beforehand. Even a lawsuit by the city of Gera and an action alliance before the administrative court in Gera could not prevent the festival. According to various newspaper reports, around 1,000 demonstrators took part in a counter-demonstration.

10. Rock for Germany 2012

The tenth Rock for Germany took place on July 7, 2012 with around 700 participants on the forecourt of Gera main station. The speakers were u. a. Udo Voigt and Patrick Wieschke . Matthias Fischer , Dieter Riefling and Karl Richter were also invited . Performances by Max Resist , Oidoxie , Tätervolk , Words of Anger and Excess should form the musical framework program. The performance of Max Resist had to be canceled because the singer was denied entry to Germany. The organizers hung up a banner of the Thuringian Homeland Security as a stage decoration . Over 2,000 counter-demonstrators gathered in the nearby Hofwiesen car park for a public rally. Present were, among others, Thuringia's Prime Minister Christine Lieberknecht (CDU), Interior Minister Jörg Geibert (CDU) and Social Affairs Minister Heike Taubert (SPD).

11. Rock for Germany 2013

On July 6, 2013, the eleventh Rock for Germany took place on the station forecourt with around 700 participants. The right-wing bands Die Lunikoff Conspiracy , Voice of Retribution, Frontfire, Excess and Sachsenblut played. Four NPD politicians appeared as speakers, including Frank Schwerdt and Safet Babic . Maria Fank also spoke from the Ring of National Women , which incited against blacks and homosexuals. On the site, T-shirts with the imprint "Freedom for wool" were used to express solidarity with Ralf Wohlleben , who had to answer in the NSU trial . Donation cans were also collected for imprisoned “comrades”. About 1,000 people took part in the counter-demonstration, which was separated from the Nazi event by several fences and police officers. In the run-up, several counter-demonstrators camped on a meadow at the main train station from Thursday to Friday. The camp was evacuated by the police early Friday morning. During the Nazi festival, around 30 counter-demonstrators attended the concert with printed T-shirts on each of which was written a letter from the slogan Celebrate parties without Nazis .

12. Rock for Germany 2014

The twelfth Rock for Germany took place on July 5, 2014 on the forecourt of Gera main station with 300 participants and 400 counter-demonstrators. The bands Motor of Hate , Heiliges Reich and Helle & die RAC'ker played , the right-wing extremist singer-songwriter Frank Rennicke and the Bremen band Strafmass had canceled their announced participation at short notice. The event leader was the Gera NPD MP Gordon Richter , who also spoke were NPDists Matthias Fiedler, Hendrik Heller and Patrick Weber and Tony Gentsch from the right-wing extremist party The Third Way . After the band Helle & die RAC'ker had started an indexed song, the performance was interrupted and the event ended early.

In the run-up to the meeting, the city administration was criticized for providing a large part of the area requested for a rally by the Gera alliance against the law of the NPD and for having moved the counter-demonstration to a completely different location. The Amadeu Antonio Foundation emphasized in its blog Publikative.org in advance the “strengthening effect for the scene” and the “motivational boost” that the event at Gera Central Station should have on the neo-Nazis, and emphasized the importance of the festival as a “source of income "And as" part of the 'struggle for the organized will' "for the NPD. The mayor of Gera, Viola Hahn , the Thuringian Minister of Social Affairs, Heike Taubert , the mayor of Jena , Albrecht Schröter , and the pastor of Jena, Lothar König, took part in the counter-demonstration .

13. Rock for Germany 2017

After Rock für Deutschland was not held in 2015 and 2016, the 13th concert took place on July 1, 2017. The venue was the parking lot at Hofwiesenpark. Alternatively, the event was registered in Themar in the southern Thuringian district of Hildburghausen . The concert in Gera, which was registered with 1,200 people, was attended by 820 people until the early evening. In addition to the speeches, the 25th anniversary of the right-wing rock band Frontalkraft was celebrated with an appearance. Moreover occurred Division Germania , Confident of Victory, home cooking, Green Arrow and front fire on. As a counter-event of the action alliance Gera gegen Rechts in front of the culture and congress center, a concert entitled Rock for All took place.

A few weeks later, the Rock Against Foreign Immigration and the Rock for Identity took place in Themar .

Counter-actions

The Trojan t-shirt from EXIT-Germany

At the ninth Rock for Germany on August 6, 2011, the neo-Nazi dropout initiative Exit Deutschland distributed 250 “Trojan T-shirts”, which revealed the initiative's contact details after the first wash. The campaign also received attention in national media such as Spiegel Online and abroad. In another press release, Exit Deutschland described the T-shirt campaign in January 2012 as a “social media hit 2011” and justified this with the fact that the Süddeutsche Zeitung article on the campaign was shared more often than any other journalistic contribution of the year in social networks has been.

In the run-up to Rock für Deutschland 2012, the city council of Gera changed the parking statutes to block the venue for the event. The playground on which the event was held the years before was now "reserved for children playing, for rest and relaxation, as well as for dogs on leash". However, the vote was also viewed critically, as such areas are no longer allowed to be used by democratic parties and associations.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Till Grefe: Get off the playground . In: Jungle World , July 1, 2010
  2. ^ Office for the Protection of the Constitution 2007 (PDF) Thuringian Ministry of the Interior, press version; P. 28.
  3. ↑ a b Confusion about “Rock for Germany” continues . Die Zeit Blog, August 5, 2011
  4. ^ DPA : Demonstration against "Rock for Germany". Stern , July 11, 2010, accessed July 12, 2010 .
  5. ^ Anne Onken: Gera mobilized against right-wing riot concert. Spiegel online , July 10, 2010, accessed July 12, 2010 .
  6. ^ Silke Heinrich: Open air through the summer. Neo-Nazi festivals attract thousands of visitors . In: The right margin . No. 126 (September / October), 2010, pp. 10 .
  7. ↑ Blockades and a colorful party in Gera . Ostthüringer Zeitung , August 7, 2011
  8. ^ A b Paul Linke, Anna Lena Mösken: You're back again . In: Berliner Zeitung , August 8, 2011
  9. ↑ Live better without Nazis !!! On August 6th, 2011 the Nazi festival “Rock for Germany” will take place in Gera. (No longer available online.) Laut gegen Nazis , July 26, 2011, archived from the original on July 26, 2011 ; Retrieved August 8, 2011 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.lautgegennazis.de
  10. ^ Anne Pollmann: Not a good day for the Nazis in Gera. Die Zeit Blog, August 7, 2011, accessed on August 8, 2011 .
  11. ↑ Hundreds protested peacefully in Gera against neo-Nazi concert . Ostthüringer Zeitung , August 6, 2011
  12. ↑ Benjamin Meyer: “Rock for Germany” - hundreds of neo-Nazis celebrate for their Germany. Zeit.de Blog, July 8, 2012, accessed on July 9, 2012 .
  13. ↑ May 15, 2012 ... press review. Netz gegen Nazis , May 15, 2012, accessed June 7, 2012 .
  14. ^ Flop for Germany. In: Publikative.org . July 8, 2012, Retrieved July 9, 2012 .
  15. ↑ "Wake up Gera" - 1,000 against 700 at rock for Germany. In: Publikative.org . July 8, 2013, accessed September 12, 2013 .
  16. ↑ a b Right-Rock Festival in Gera. More counter-demonstrators than Nazis. In: The daily newspaper . July 5, 2014; Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  17. ↑ Felix M. Steiner: Right rock disaster in Gera . Publikative.org , July 9, 2014; Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  18. ^ A b Felix M. Steiner: NPD event in Gera: Rock for the campaign box . Publikative.org , June 30, 2014; Retrieved July 6, 2014.
  19. ↑ Kai Budler: Crumbling "Rock for Germany" . Look to the right , July 7, 2014; Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  20. ↑ Oliver Cruzcampo: "Rock for Germany" becomes a mini-spectacle . Right end of the line , July 7, 2014; Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  21. ↑ Objection to notice of additional conditions . ( Memento of the original from July 14, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Action alliance Gera against right, July 3, 2014; Retrieved on July 6, 2014: "With regard to the actions of the assembly authorities with the rally registration made by us, it remains to be seen that we were denied the same assembly room that was granted to another rally applicant, namely the NPD, who had not applied for this space at all has been." @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.gera-nazifrei.com
  22. ↑ Christine Schimmel: Dull sounds drowned out: Hundreds demonstrate against neo-Nazi concert in Gera . Ostthüringer Zeitung , July 7, 2014; Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  23. ↑ Marcel Hilbert: Police on a large scale: four arrests at a right-wing rock concert in Gera . In: Ostthüringer Zeitung , July 1, 2017, accessed on October 1, 2017.
  24. ↑ Operation Trojan T-shirt ; Press release on the Exit Germany website , August 9, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Trojan T-shirt" smuggled at the right-wing rock festival in Gera . Ostthüringer Zeitung , August 9, 2011
  26. ↑ Trojan T-shirt outwits neo-Nazi rock fans . Spiegel Online , August 9, 2011
  27. ↑ Trojan "T-shirt" infuses neo-Nazis . Süddeutsche Zeitung , August 9, 2011
  28. ↑ R.Vos: Neo-Nazi's beetgenomen met t-shirts. In: Spitsnieuws . August 10, 2011, archived from the original on July 14, 2014 ; accessed on December 22, 2015 .
  29. ↑ Trojan T-shirts at the right-wing rock festival . Der Tagesspiegel , August 9, 2011
  30. ↑ Ethan Sacks: Neo-Nazis punk'd! German right-wingers get free T-shirts, that turn out to bear message of inclusion . nydailynews.com , Aug 11, 2011
  31. ↑ Helen Pidd: German rightwing rock fans tricked into anti-extremist T-shirt stunt ; guardian.co.uk , August 10, 2011
  32. ^ "Operation Trojan T-Shirt" was the 2011 social media hit . Press release on the Exit Deutschland website , January 5, 2012.
  33. ↑ Marc Brandstätter: No “Rock for Germany”? Gera changes the usage statutes of the event site. Right end of the line , May 16, 2012, accessed June 7, 2012 .