Democracy despisers on the rise, conspirators who want to deport millions of Germans – there are enough reasons to demonstrate against right-wing extremists. Now another one has been added: the day of remembrance for the victims of National Socialism. And whether in the football stadiums or on the streets: thousands upon thousands have once again protested against right-wing activities.
Thousands of people took to the streets in several cities again on Friday. There were protests in Frankfurt am Main, Saarbrücken, Herne and Gütersloh. Last weekend, according to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, more than 900,000 people took part in demonstrations against the right.
Professional football is also taking a stand against anti-Semitism. At games in the stadiums, on the training ground and at other events, clubs and fans commemorated the crimes of the Nazi era on the anniversary of the liberation of the former German concentration camp Auschwitz. In view of the terrorist attack by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on Israel on October 7th and the increasing protests against the right-wing in Germany, this time the actions are taking place under the motto “Never again is now!” instead of.
“Remembrance Day in German football is now an integral part of our game calendar and sends a clear, strong signal every year,” said Managing Director Steffen Merkel of the German Football League.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) welcomed the numerous demonstrations against right-wing extremism in the last few days and weeks. “Our country is currently on its feet. Millions of citizens are taking to the streets,” he said in his weekly video “Chancellor Compact”. It is the solidarity of the democrats that makes democracy strong. “Our democracy is not God-given. It is man-made. It is strong when we support it. And it needs us when it is attacked.”
On January 27, 1945, Soviet troops liberated the survivors of the German Auschwitz extermination camp. The Nazis murdered more than a million people there, mostly Jews. The date has been celebrated as Holocaust Remembrance Day in Germany since 1996, and the United Nations proclaimed the date a day of remembrance in 2005.
