They walked through the streets with candles and lanterns, and there were even chains of lights attached to strollers. Apart from the regular chimes of the gong, the procession was almost silent. Only at the beginning did the participants hold hands in a circle and shout “peace” loudly. According to the police, around 350 people gathered last Sunday, probably to demonstrate against a possible vaccination requirement.
In Altomünster, another 250 vaccine opponents and skeptics met at the same time. Like the gathering last Sunday, these two were not registered either – in contrast to the counter-demonstration in Indersdorf, which mobilized around 150 people under the motto “Solidarity out of the pandemic”. Thomas Obeser from the Young Liberals had properly registered them. According to the police, both elevators ran “smoothly and peacefully”.
The anti-vaccination demonstration was not registered. This constitutes an administrative offense, but at the same time allows the organizers to remain anonymous. “Of course we would like the demonstration to be registered. But if it isn’t, we can’t change it,” says District Administrator Stefan Löwl (CSU). The advantage of registered demos: The police can better adjust to it.
Löwl suspects that the protesters feared strict conditions or bans and therefore did not register the meeting. But registered or not: In any case, corona rules such as the mask requirement and the 1.5 meter distance would apply. Most of the demonstrators did not wear a mask and did not keep their distance. The police saw no reason to enforce the rule. According to operations manager Stefan Priller, the gaps were large enough.
The counter-demonstration formed around the youth associations of the FDP, the Greens, CSU and SPD.
(Photo: Niels P. Jørgensen)
In general, he has nothing against the protests of vaccination skeptics, said District Administrator Löwl. “Everyone has the right to disagree” and can help shape opinion. At the same time, however, the person should also adhere to the “democratic rules of the game” – that is, register the demonstration properly.
The 350 vaccine opponents and skeptics by no means only came from Indersdorf. “I also saw a lot of cars with foreign license plates,” says local mayor Franz Obesser (CSU). At the demo itself, many stated that they came from outside the country. Michael Reiter (FWG), Mayor of Altomünster, also says about the move in his place: “I not only saw community citizens, but also many strangers.” The movement came together beyond the district. You have apparently networked via social networks and the news service “Telegram”. Reiter had only found out from the police a few hours earlier about the event in Altomünster, which was also not registered.
For Peter Heller, spokesman for the Round Table Against Racism, these are signs that the move was “controlled from elsewhere”: “It seems orchestrated. This is not a spontaneous walk created by the local population.” Heller is also concerned that many participants became aware of the moves through “Telegram”. Because there the new rights act increasingly. “Nationwide we see a strong mix of corona deniers, vaccination skeptics, vaccination opponents and the new right wing. This is not a local phenomenon.” As obvious as it is: According to Heller, vaccination critics hardly distance themselves from the right. Not even in Indersdorf, where the Heller lantern parade is strongly reminiscent of the Pegida marches: “It is no coincidence that the same format is chosen.”
Apart from that, AfD supporters mingled with the demonstrators. City councilor Markus Kellerer, for example, together with some supporters. He was there as a private person, but of course the AfD agreed to the goals of the demonstration. “I am not an opponent of vaccinations, but we are very critical of the obligation to vaccinate,” says Kellerer. Above all, that children and adolescents are already “forced” to vaccinate by the 2G requirements: “That is in some cases a compulsion.”
Kellerer and his AfD colleagues were not officially invited to the demo, but they were also not unloaded. “We don’t know the organizers and have nothing to do with them,” said Kellerer. Even if he had registered the demo, he sees no problem in going to an unannounced meeting. “That is what the left do all the time with their spontaneous demonstrations.” Would he go again? “Definitive.” According to Kellerer, “some of us” also ran in Altomünster. Even if they did not identify themselves as AfD supporters, no one had sent them away.
Ludwig Gasteiger, district manager of the district youth council, emphasizes that the worries and concerns about the corona vaccination should be taken seriously. However, he does not understand why on the one hand there are representatives of the AfD, “who flatly reject all measures,” and on the other hand why the mask and distance were so clearly dispensed with. “It seems as if you are simply against everything.” In view of the fact that walks are currently being held all over Germany “with very blatant speeches against the democratic-free basic order”, the move to Indersdorf is also problematic. “You can’t pretend it’s harmless,” said Gasteiger. Even if the local demo was fortunately quiet.
“So far we have not found any stickers,” says Mayor Obesser. After the previous demo, Indersdorfer construction yard employees had to remove anti-democratic stickers in several places in the village. Mayor Reiter also says that so far “no vandalism by the demonstrators has been discovered” in Altomünster.
It can be assumed that it was not clear to everyone during the move where they got into it. A “walker” who wants to remain anonymous says that a friend invited him to the parade: “I was perplexed by the huge crowd, the police, the counter demo.” It wasn’t about vaccination at all. It was also not a demonstration for him, but a “light walk”, during which he recharged his batteries. He hadn’t heard anything from the AfD, but he also didn’t understand why it was worth reporting when an AfD politician ran along. “Next time I’ll go for a walk in the woods again.”
According to police press spokesman Björn Scheid, whoever called for the demonstrations is being investigated: “We spoke to the people at the demos, interviewed other witnesses and investigated on social networks.” In addition, the Dachau police are investigating suspicions of sedition: Unknown people posted notes in Indersdorf over the weekend. One said, for example, “Hang up the unvaccinated”, another “Let the unvaccinated starve to death”. It is not yet possible to say who is responsible for this. “That is absolutely stupid, probably by a single person,” says Mayor Obesser.
And the counter demo? It was “very brave” of the youth associations of the FDP, Greens, CSU and SPD to announce a counter-event, said Ludwig Gasteiger from the district youth association. Organizer Obeser also says: “It was right and important that the counter demo took place.” Even if they were smaller in number. He regrets that there was no real exchange with the other side. “I also thought it was a shame that the typical Corona battle cries and one or two xenophobic slogans were thrown at us. That doesn’t work at all,” said Obeser. He suspects the moves will continue. “That won’t go uncommented.” Maybe then with more participants on the other side.