A large demonstration against right-wing extremism took place on Sunday evening on Theresienwiese in Munich with fairy lights and cell phone lights. Tens of thousands of people were expected to take a stand against racism, anti-Semitism and hate speech.
According to police reports, 75,000 to 100,000 demonstrators gathered at the peak. According to the police, the large difference is due to the darkness. Some participants had no lights with them, others had several. There were no major incidents. The organizers speak of 300,000 participants.
“We defend ourselves against right-wing extremism”
Dozens of organizations and groups called for the “Sea of Lights for Democracy”. The organizers and the police had asked that candles or other open fire be avoided for safety reasons.
The Theresienwiese, the location of the Oktoberfest in autumn, shone brightly – to make people’s minds brighter, said human rights activist Düzen Tekkal, the keynote speaker at the rally. In her speech, she called for unity for democracy and warned not to get lost in individual interests.
It’s not enough to “just be against something,” said Tekkal in an interview with BR24. “We have to ask ourselves the question of what we are for, who we want to be, which country.” Every single person who came to the demo had expectations, the human rights activist continued. And it’s about what “the lowest common denominator is”: In her view, this must be “the fight against right-wing extremism, the AfD and any hostility to humanity.”