Vigil in Berlin
How the farmers’ protests on Telegram are being co-opted by the right
© Collage: star; Photos: Peter Kneffel / Picture Alliance / dpa / Imago Images
The farmers’ anger seems to have cooled down for the time being, but things continue to simmer on the Telegram messenger. Right-wingers are trying to use the approval for the protests for their own benefit – and the line between “good” and “evil” is becoming blurred.
His name is Comte-D’Artagnan, and his power extends from Hamburg to Munich. He admonishes and reprimands, sends people into exile and enforces laws. The “Comte” – as his subordinates call him – is not a count or baron at all, he is the administrator of the largest German Telegram group Farmers protests.
The group is called “Farmers & Consumers United” and has almost 28,000 members. Only some of them are farmers – but they are all contentious. There is a lot of bickering in the comments under “Comte’s” posts. They only seem to agree on one thing: they are fed up.
The members of the group find the “#Ampelmussweg”, they have had enough of Scholz, Lindner and especially the Greens. They accuse the party of a planned economy and call Agriculture Minister Özdemir “Özdimist”. Group administrator Comte-D’Artagnan keeps the outrage machine running with new posts.
Farmers’ protest: 500 likes for fake news from a lateral thinker
A video from March 4th was particularly polarizing: “Police can’t clear B5 blockade” is the title. In the video, Marcus Fuchs, formerly the leading head of the Dresden Querdenker, “reports” from the site of the protest on March 3rd, where five people were injured by manure and manure on the roadway of the B5.
Fuchs says that “the media is once again spreading the most daring lies about what accidents are supposed to have happened here.” The members of the “Farmers & Consumers United” group responded with 500 hearts, likes and smiley smiles. However, a dispute arises in the comments under the video, in which admin Comte-D’Artagnan only intervenes when his infallibility is questioned.
When user “Roswitha” writes that the malicious content of the video is “not funny”, user “Holger Friedensfahrzeug” replies: “There are people who are so stupid that they deliberately put themselves and others in danger and then put others in danger Trying to push shoes.” He means the injured drivers, not the farmers who caused accidents. There are 23 likes and two dislikes.
Farmers’ protest: network with tens of thousands of members
Malice towards their opponents from politics and society is part of the program at “Farmers & Consumers United” – and also in the 16 subgroups where the angry farmers organize themselves at the state level.
The members arrange to meet there for events such as a vigil on March 22nd in Berlin. The demo is organized by the “Together We Stand” alliance, in which several clubs have joined forces. In the imprint on the alliance’s website, the Stendal craftsman Rainer Budach is named as the person responsible. He is politically inconspicuous. There is no connection to right-wing or left-wing extremist groups.
A current statement on the alliance’s website: “The ‘together we stand’ alliance clearly distances itself from people with or without a political background who want to use our peaceful protests for election campaigns or political agitation. We also firmly distance ourselves from any violence . Our demonstrations will continue to be loud and peaceful.” A demarcation from the AfD cannot be found on the website.
Farmers’ protest: Agriculture unites Germany
One of the most important players in the farmers’ protests is the association “Agriculture connects Germany”, which was founded in 2019 as the movement “Land creates connection”. The registered association is active nationwide and has organizational structures in several federal states. The club’s best-known spokesman is Anthony Robert Lee.
The association makes political demands and carries out accompanying protest actions. The club has repeatedly come under criticism because of right-wing populist statements made by club spokespeople and the lack of differentiation from the AfD.
A statement by federal spokesman Anthony Lee attracted particular attention: In an interview at a demonstration in January, Lee was asked: “Why are the politicians after you? Why do they want to destroy you?” The poster boy’s answer: “I think there are many reasons. The most important one: They want our country. They want our country to build industry on, houses on, houses for refugees or whoever.”
Farmers protests: spokesman Anthony Lee
Speaker Anthony Lee is particularly broadcast-conscious: he has more than 123,000 followers on Facebook. 97,000 people have subscribed to his channel on YouTube. Lee’s videos have been viewed almost 35 million times there. The brand he developed: “Experience Agriculture with Anthony Lee”.
Channels and groups with this name can also be found on Telegram. Lee writes under his YouTube videos: “There are no Telegram groups of mine!” This seems credible: A lot of AfD content is posted in the group that advertises with Lee’s face and slogan. Lee is a supporter of another party: In this year’s European elections, he is running as the top candidate for the Free Voters of Lower Saxony.
Farmers’ protest: contact guilt and free riders
However, this mislabeling shows a problem that farmers’ representatives have so far been unwilling to solve: the farmers’ outrage can be used by parties and other political actors that are further to the right than Anthony Lee’s Free Voters. Supporters and representatives of the AfD are trying to exploit the farmers for their own purposes.
At the same time, Lee and FW chairman Hubert Aiwanger are also flirting with right-wing populist themes. The star asked the association “Agriculture Connects Germany” about its stance on the Alternative for Germany. The answer: “There is no proximity to the AfD.”
Being associated with the radical right annoys the club. They are concerned with the farmers’ cause – not the overthrow of the system. In any case, they have lost the authority to interpret their protest on Telegram.