Constantin Eckner

Germany’s far-right and the rise of the anti-corona protests

(Photo: Getty)

Germany has been in uproar over the events that unfolded this Saturday, when 38,000 protesters gathered in Berlin and clashed with the police. The organisers of the gathering, entitled Umdenken (Rethinking), claimed they wanted to show their frustration at government measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Among the 38,000 were at least 3,000 far-right sympathisers and extremists, according to Berlin’s interior minister.


The run-up to Saturday’s protests was already marked by controversy, as Berlin’s local government had initially banned the gathering due to concerns that the event could contribute to the spread of the coronavirus. As is often the case in Germany when governments ban political protests, a local court decided that the constitutional right to freedom of assembly outweighed other considerations and gave the protest the go-ahead.

Observing the scene on Saturday, it became clear that those who oppose coronavirus measures because they genuinely think they are unjustified walked side by side with conspiracy theorists and extremists who would like to bring down the government. It has been reported that some protest organisers were already in talks with far-right groups in early summer and discussed strategies to boost turnout at the events, after only a few thousand showed up to the first anti-lockdown gatherings in May.  Members of right-wing parties, the Identitarian Movement, Neo-Nazi comradeships, and a few hooligan groups were involved in the protests. The founder of the group that organised Saturday’s protest has sought to distance himself from extremists.

The most prominent speaker on Saturday was the anti-vaccine activist and nephew of JFK, Robert F. Kennedy, who flew over from the US and entered Germany despite heavy corona-related travel restrictions. The most beloved politician among the protesters was apparently Russia’s President Vladimir Putin whose name was chanted repeatedly by hundreds of his fans.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in