Thousands of people protested against the federal government’s energy and social policy in Leipzig on Monday. The Left Party had called for a demonstration under the motto “Hot autumn against social cold”. In addition, left and right-wing groups mobilized for six other rallies, including the far-right splinter party Freie Sachsen. The police tried to keep the camps on Augustusplatz separate. The Office for the Protection of the Constitution had warned in advance of possible confrontations.
The background to the protests is the sharp rise in energy and food prices. The traffic light coalition of SPD, Greens and FDP in the federal government announced a package worth 65 billion euros at the weekend to relieve citizens. However, the protesters consider this to be insufficient.
Strictly separated: right and left demonstrated on different sides
In the late afternoon, around 150 left-wing demonstrators marched from the southern district of Connewitz to Augustusplatz in the city center. They shouted “All together against fascism” or “Nazis out”. At first there were no incidents. The left had prepared their demo on one side of Augustusplatz, where many people flocked. An elderly woman held a hand-painted sign that read: ‘Open Nord Stream 2, ceasefire now’.
On the other side of the square were the far-right Freie Sachsen. Several hundred people also gathered there when former AfD politician André Poggenburg and right-wing publisher Jürgen Elsässer spoke. Left demonstrators distanced themselves categorically from the right.
The police initially gave no official estimate of the number of participants. She had declared Augustusplatz to be the focus of operations. In the middle of the square were partitions. “The principle is clear, everyone has their place,” said a police spokesman.
The left does not want to let the right take a day of the week
The left justifies its protest with the fact that many people with low incomes will soon not be able to afford to buy groceries or heat their homes. The agreements of the traffic light coalition are “not a massive package”, so you have to keep up the pressure, said Linken boss Martin Schirdewan before the Leipzig demo.
Applicant was the East Commissioner of the left faction, Sören Pellmann. As early as mid-August, he had proposed “new Monday demos in the east like back then against Hartz IV.” The use of the term Monday demonstration triggered criticism – on the one hand because it is linked to the peaceful revolution in the GDR in 1989, on the other hand because it is now also used by right-wing groups.
Pellmann told the DPA news agency that the left would not “let the right take weekdays away”. Its task is to steer protest into democratic channels and to channel political dissatisfaction.
Right and left – but more similar than expected?
The demarcation is not only difficult because right-wingers are trying to get involved in the left-wing protest campaign. Some slogans from the right and left are also similar. Like the left, the AfD is also mobilizing with the slogan “Hot Autumn”. AfD boss Tino Chrupalla speaks of an “economic war” by the federal government against Russia – a term also used by former Left Party leader Sahra Wagenknecht.
The party leadership distances itself from Wagenknecht’s positions. The official demands of the left for their nationwide protest campaign are: “Relieve people. Cap prices. Tax excess profits”.
Source: Stern
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