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After an attack on a school class and a call for help from teachers at a school, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier calls for consequences and a debate about the causes. “We must not allow the youth of our country, our children and young people, to be threatened by right-wing extremists.”
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier reacted with horror to recent right-wing extremist incidents in Brandenburg, calling for consequences and an open debate about the causes. “It is important that the events are no longer kept secret or downplayed,” Steinmeier said on Wednesday star. “The open letter with which teachers at a school in Burg called for help shocked many people, including me,” said the Federal President. “How can it be that neo-Nazi propaganda is openly displayed by large groups of schoolchildren – and that has hardly had any consequences for so long?” Steinmeier asked. “With even greater concern” he sees the attack by right-wing extremists on a Berlin school class in a holiday camp in Brandenburg. “Why do violent hooded people attack peaceful students?”
On Sunday night, schoolchildren from Berlin, most of whom have a migration background, were racially insulted by other guests at a holiday camp in Heidesee. 28 people were initially arrested, and the school class traveled back to Berlin that night. A few days earlier, a letter had been published in which teachers at a high school in Burg complained that they were confronted with right-wing extremism, sexism and homophobia on a daily basis. They also experienced a “wall of silence”. Teachers and students who acted openly against right-wing students and parents feared for their safety.
Frank-Walter Steinmeier: “We cannot go back to business as usual here”
Human dignity is “the core of our democracy,” said Steinmeier. “The glorification of Nazi crimes, racist hatred of other people, bullying and violence – all of this can never be normal,” said the Federal President. “We all have to act together against this. We cannot go back to business as usual here.” Steinmeier is currently in Senftenberg, Brandenburg, where he has relocated his official residence for three days.
Society must “not allow the youth of our country, our children and young people, to be threatened by right-wing extremists,” said the Federal President. Therefore, the raid should not remain without consequences. “We must not allow right-wing extremists to try to drag the country’s youth into the brown swamp.” The glorification of Nazi ideology among schoolchildren should not remain without consequences.
He wanted to “encourage everyone who takes action against right-wing extremism and hate speech,” said Steinmeier. It is important to educate and counteract it. Civil society organizations, alliances against hate and violence, should make offers to the school “to convey and discuss our values”. Politicians in the municipality, in the state and in the federal government are called upon to provide support for this. “And to start dealing with right-wing extremist movements that bring their hate ideologies into the schools.”
Steinmeier said he wanted to “expressly encourage democrats who oppose hatred, hate speech, xenophobia and right-wing extremism”. You have his “great respect and my full support”.
Source: Stern
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