The state government, police and authorities in Bavaria are arming themselves for a possible “further increase” in the corona protests if the Bundestag decides on general vaccination. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) said on Wednesday that there was a “consolidation” of the meeting events, but one was “prepared for all conceivable scenarios”. “We will take all necessary measures to maintain public safety and order”, the aim is to ensure orderly, orderly processes.
Before the current stagnation there had been a strong increase since the winter; this was reinforced in public perception by individual very large events such as in Nuremberg and many decentralized “walks” that were often manageable in terms of personnel. The minister reported on the current situation in the state parliament’s interior committee.
It is about a “core content of the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression,” Herrmann clarified, but there are “clear rules”. In the “phenomenon of walks”, often without registering with the authorities, the “misleading term” is intended to hide the fact that it is actually a meeting – a political opinion is obviously being promoted. “This is a gathering, no matter how the person concerned declares it.”
The situation is nonetheless heterogeneous, from peaceful meetings where police instructions are followed to cases of “provocative and gross disregard for infection control rules and sometimes aggressive behavior and assaults on police forces”.
949 politically motivated crimes in this context were registered in Bavaria in 2021, 16 police officers were injured; Damage to property, bodily harm and incitement to hatred are also included. In 2022 there is “no improvement so far”. With a large number of police forces, however, calming down was successful in many places.
Municipalities would not have to watch the goings-on of the supposed walkers, possible bans on general orders were also confirmed by the Administrative Court. However, the district administration authorities and the police would have to decide locally whether this makes sense, and the appearance of the organizers is also relevant here. Motto: “Cooperation wherever possible. Toughness where toughness is required.”
Knives were carried and journalists were attacked
According to the findings of the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which is conducting a special evaluation of Corona, the protests are attended by a “predominantly middle-class milieu”. According to Herrmann, extremists have been trying to “jump up” in the past few weeks. “Many of the other participants don’t seem to be quite aware of that.” In the evaluation, the participation of known enemies of the constitution was just under seven percent.
“Comparatively little,” says Herrmann, but there is a danger that their narratives and willingness to use violence will unfold in the groups. The neo-Nazi small party “The Third Way” is conspicuously active, for example in Bamberg, or groups that initially veiled their true intentions. This includes Herrmann’s “Create a future, protect home collective”, most recently observed in the Lower Franconian district of Haßberge.
The “strategy of de-escalation” works, but the small, growing part from the right-wing extremist camp causes him concern, said Wolfgang Hauber (free voters) in the interior committee. Alfred Grob (CSU) sees the proportionality of police operations and interventions in the event of potential danger as “very well balanced”. Alexander Muthmann (FDP) also considers the procedure to be “consistent and balanced”. Richard Graupner (AfD) positioned himself against violence, he welcomed the summary proceedings of the judiciary in the escalation of a demo in his home town of Schweinfurt.
“Appropriate judgment” is necessary for general decrees: “One must not use the right of assembly to solve a social discourse.” Katharina Schulze (Greens) warned that right-wing extremists have been there since the beginning of the pandemic, not just for weeks. Knives would be carried and journalists attacked, showing that the lateral thinker scene was “more and more radicalized”.
Stefan Schuster (SPD) asked whether the ministry did not need to coordinate general decrees. Herrmann replied that his house could not control what was the best way locally. If 160 “walks” take place on Mondays, there are “good reasons” for individual situation analyses.