second anniversary
Hanau attack: calls for consequences are getting louder
Demonstrators hold posters with pictures of the victims of the Hanau attack. Photo: Christophe Gateau/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
The racist attack with nine dead in Hanau triggered nationwide horror. The commemoration two years later is also an appeal for a more determined fight against racism and right-wing extremism.
Mourning, commemoration and a call for consequences: on the second anniversary of the racist attack that left nine dead in Hanau, numerous German cities are commemorating the victims today.
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD), Hesse’s Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU) and Hanau Mayor Claus Kaminsky (SPD) are expected to attend a central hour of remembrance at Hanau’s main cemetery. In addition to the bereaved, representatives of religious communities are among the approximately 100 invited guests.
On February 19, 2020, a 43-year-old German murdered nine people in Hanau for racist motives. The mentally ill right-wing extremist then killed his mother and took his own life. An investigative committee of the Hessian state parliament is currently dealing with the investigation of the crime, which is particularly investigating the question of whether the authorities failed before, during or after the attack.
In other cities in Hesse and Germany, people want to remember the victims this Saturday and stand up for political consequences. More than 100 demonstrations, rallies and campaigns are planned nationwide, including in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Bremen, Hanover, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Stuttgart and Munich.
Wissler calls for more government involvement
On the anniversary of the attack, Left Chairwoman Janine Wissler called for more government efforts against racism. “Fighting structural racism means that the police and other security authorities must be democratized,” she told the German Press Agency in Berlin. Extreme right-wing attitudes, networks and racist practices there must be scientifically examined. An independent complaints and investigation body is needed at the federal level.
Numerous representatives of politics and interest groups demanded a complete clarification of the crime and a more determined fight against racism and right-wing extremism, hatred and hate speech. Better handling of victims was also called for.
«The racist terrorist attack in Hanau has deeply shaken our entire country. We will never forget Gökhan Gültekin, Sedat Gürbüz, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov,” explained Faeser. “We want the voices of the victims to be heard. We want to support the families of the victims with more empathy and with more sensitivity – in all government agencies.”