Finally we translated our call for the demonstration at the 14th of February 2009 in English. Please spread this text to non-german speaking comrades!
No pasarán!
No place for lying about history!
Call for antifascist demonstration on 14th of February 2009 in Dresden
On the 13th and 14th of February 2009, again thousands of Nazis are going to march along the streets of Dresden. This obligatory Nazi-event allegedly commemorating the allied bombing dead in Dresden of February 1945, is the biggest procession of its kind Europe-wide. It’s the last remaining periodically mass demonstration for the extreme right in Germany. We will no longer accept this. So we call for all antifascists to join our demonstration and demonstrate our power by various actions.
Why Dresden?
The 13th of February in Dresden became a symbol immediately after the bombing raid in the second word war, a symbol which has been misused in any direction. It was produced by Goebbels‘ ministry of propaganda using body counts drastically distorted upwards and fake reports, which partially are being kept unquestioned until today. Far beyond Nazi-circles people have been working on the myth of Dresden for decades, and still do. During the cold war the GDR (German Democratic Republic) tried to introduce the bombing as an argument against the western politics of FRG (Federal Republic of Germany) and NATO. After the German reunification Dresden was used to foreground the German war dead, as public debates on the aerial warfare show. Books like „Der Brand“ in which airstrikes on Germany are placed on the same level with the Shoa, staged the break of taboo for the purpose of offender-victim inversion.
Until today, the Nazis try to relativise history, in particular the Shoa, and politically capitalize on the myth of Dresden. That is shown by their annual activities during the commemorations at the cemetery „Heidefriedhof“, and by the Nazi-procession in the evening of every 13th of February. They try to connect with the citizens through the common element of mourning.
Such importance of Dresden to the Nazis is no coincidence: The adaptability to parts of the citizens, the climate dominated by a regional association of the right-wing Christian Democratic Union party, an apparently Nazi-friendly regulatory agency, a scarce civil involvement and the initially poor anti-fascist resistance has kept the Nazi-march up for so long.
Since 1998 the number of participants of the Nazi-demonstrations has been increasing. This was ignored in the beginning, and around the year 2000 the Nazis even achieved a public participation. After the city government and the media draw the border between themselves and the Nazis, it became a pure Nazi-march again.
During the last few years, after the debates on the Nazi-demonstration, results a number of objective and comprehensive descriptions in articles and books. The effect is an altering rememberance, for which the historical context plays a way more important role than it did before. Nevertheless, while mourning is partially still being used for idiology and political aims and the crimes of Nazi Germany fade into the background.
Extreme right in Saxony
The so called „Trauermarsch“ (funeral march) has the function of networking, forming ideologies and to stabilise the Neo-Nationalsocialist identity. With its positive reference to the Nationalsocialism it strengthens the Nazis inwards and shows off unity outwards. The result is a climate that promotes attacks on migrants, leftwingers and everyone else not fitting into their misantrophic world view. During and after the demonstration the Nazis often and brutally take action.
Especially in Saxony, the area around Dresden, militant Neo-Nazis are in the offensive. The close connection with the hooligan scene lead to a terrible action against Turkish and Kurdish shops in Dresden at the semifinal of the European football championship. About 50 Nazis trashed their way through the alternative quarter called "Neustadt", smashed stores to pieces and injured dozens of people. Only a couple of days before 500 Nazis tried to invade that alternate quarter. Attacks and racist crimes are daily incidents. Nazis are supported by youth clubs, scene shops, sports clubs, and especially their meeting place it the Oskar-Röder-Straße. This infrastructure has been growing for years. Clothes shops such as „Larvik“ or „Never Straight Clothes“ allow Nazis and sympathizers to be easily equipped with scene stuff and thereby to economically support Neo-Nazi structures. Also in regional parliaments the Nazis are extensively represented. There they continually show up with scandals and vulgar behaviour.
No pasarán – They will not come through
Despite political headwind, resistance against the Nazimarch is constantly growing. In 2006 Nazis were forced to turn back for the first time. The trend of antifascist success continued and in 2008, a few thousand people blocked the Neo-Nazis. We continue this success, we get more and more and we are going to keep the resistance on and on, until the Nazi demonstraion is gone!
In a lot of cities activities have already started in order to bring thousands of people to Dresden. Many antifascist actions are planned. Along with every progressive person we are going to reclaim the streets of Dresden!
On Saturday, 14th of February, will be varied and resolut antifascist demonstrations. Our aim is to set a radical sign with our attendance, our contents and our actions.
Join the Europe-wide mobilisation and come to our demonstration against the Nazi-marches!
No pasarán!
No place for lying about history!