The longer the protests lasted and the longer conditions could be violated without sanctions, the more protesters felt empowered to speak for “the people” and, if necessary, to act violently against their “enemies,” says his association observed that some of those who took to the streets are radicalizing. He recorded an increase in threats and attacks, from the demonstrations, but also in everyday life – against vaccination centers and people who openly advocate vaccinations. They are no longer just about compulsory vaccinations or containment measures, but about a political upheaval and the rejection of democracy.
Augustusburg: “We have democracy. Freedom. We do not have a dictatorship!”
“Peace, freedom, no dictatorship” is what many of the Corona demonstrators shout. “We have democracy. Freedom. We do not have a dictatorship!” – Dirk Neubauer, Mayor of Augustusburg, counters this against visitors to the city’s website and possible corona deniers. “Let me tell you: This is not resistance, not a fight for freedom. This is angry, often egotistical noise. No more. And this has nothing in common with the courage and ideals of 1989. Nothing at all,” it goes on in a statement.
But unlike in other Saxon municipalities, things are quiet in Augustusburg. What is the city’s secret? “I can’t tell you that,” says Neubauer: “I vacillate between happiness and maybe we’ll do something different. We try to be fairly open, we try to offer a variety of formats, we try to listen to what moves people. Perhaps we will succeed we sometimes do quite well. ” The mayor refers to the transparency, which is important to his city administration, and to participation formats.
And despite the many petitions now in Saxony and Central Germany, Neubauer still asks: “How can it be that a minority, and it is a minority, very clearly even that the majority dominates, determines the picture, determines the issues? ” And answers the question himself: “This is only possible because we all no longer have the cross to stand for something. We are very quick to be against something. But it is incredibly difficult for us to go out and for something That is our problem, we have to get out of the comfort zone, it has something to do with prosperity. ”