Berlin taz was founded on Saturday in Berlin the regional association of the AfD youth “Generation Germany”accompanied by counter-protest. But until shortly before the start of the founding meeting at 2 p.m., there was uncertainty among Antifa activists about the location of the protest. They eagerly tried to find out the venue. In the tried and tested anti-fascist manner, places were scouted that would be suitable for founding the AfD youth.
With a post on social media, AfD politician Martin Kohler tried to briefly set a false trail and lead the counter-protest to Pankow, where the AfD also has an event room is known as the “Brown House”.. But around an hour before the event began, there was finally certainty: with the slogan “Let’s go, let’s go, fascists are annoying” a call went around to come to the federal headquarters of the extreme right-wing party in Berlin Wittenau. In addition to the federal party, the Berlin AfD also has its headquarters there.
The Berlin police were obviously better informed about the location of the incident. This had already positioned itself in front of the AfD party headquarters and shielded the access roads around the party headquarters. With horns, whistles, pot banging and well-known slogans such as “All of Berlin hates the AfD”, the participants in the counter-protest who gradually arrived loudly expressed their displeasure against the founding of the AfD youth organization. However, this turned out to be clear. Apparently around 200 people gathered in front of the party headquarters. “We will always take to the streets against the AfD,” rang out from a loudspeaker there.
An alliance of various organizations, including the Resist and Studis Against the Right initiatives, called for a short-term protest against the founding event of the Berlin AfD youth. The anti-fascists tried to block the path to the party headquarters from two sides. Too late, however, because the majority of the AfD members were already in the building.
Counter-protester hit
According to consistent statements from several participants in the counter-protest, a demonstrator who was riding a bicycle was previously hit by a car whose driver was on the way to founding the AfD youth group. The affected activist reported to the taz that the driver had previously revved the engine several times. “It was definitely intentional,” said the person affected about the incident. The collision ended lightly and the victim escaped with slight pain in his leg. The police are now investigating suspicions of grievous bodily harm. A police press spokesman confirmed the incident to the taz. The situation occurred as part of an attempted blockade, said the spokesman.
For a short time there were individual clashes between anti-fascists and other AfD members who had arrived. The police then cleared the blockade of around 30 counter-demonstrators from the street, clearing the way for the AfD youth stragglers who were still arriving.
The Berlin AfD apparently interpreted freedom of the press selectively on this day too: while other media were given access, the taz was denied access. Only around 30 participants showed up at the founding event of the state association of the new AfD youth organization. However, there were no big surprises there. Instead, the staff was linked to the old and now dissolved right-wing extremist youth association and confirmed one recently published assessment by the Ministry of the Interior. Martin Kohler was elected chairman of the regional association of “Generation Germany”. Until recently he was the head of the Junge Alternative (JA) and likes to appear on social media in the dress of the relevant Berlin fraternity Gothia. The AfD youth chose Christopher Wiedenhaupt, until recently deputy state chairman of the JA, as their deputy. And the newly elected treasurer Marko Penić can also look back on a radical career. Penić was at times a speaker for Andreas Kalbitz, whose AfD membership ended because of previous contacts with the right-wing extremist “Heimattreuen Deutschen Jugend”.
The regional association of the self-proclaimed “Generation Germany” was also founded this Saturday in Königs-Wusterhausen, Brandenburg. This is no less radically positioned: the chairman there was
State parliament member Fabian Jank was elected, who was already noticed for his proximity to the right-wing extremist identity movement posted Nazi slogans on social media in the past.