A Town Hall Meeting in Chemnitz

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The following video shows excerpts from a “town hall” meeting in Chemnitz, the city in eastern Germany that has become the focal point of protests against mass immigration. The demonstrations began last week after two people were stabbed to death by culture-enrichers. The minister president for Saxony (who is roughly equivalent to the governor of an American state, or the premier of a Canadian province) joined the mayor of Chemnitz in a face-to-face discussion with residents of the city.

Media reports on the demonstrations in Chemnitz focused on the sieg-heiling of a few of the participants, and the even rarer instances of violence. My intuition tells me that many — if not all — of the “Nazis” who strutted their stuff at the demos were in fact planted by state intelligence services. The NPD (the largest neo-Nazi outfit in Germany) is notorious for being thoroughly infiltrated by police and intelligence agents, including many in leadership positions. If the government wanted to discredit dissent against its immigration policies — and I assume it does — it would be foolish not to use those undercover assets to sieg-heil and chase down “southern-looking” people while media cameras were present. Footage of such incidents would then be shown repeatedly on television, at home and abroad, to the exclusion of almost anything else.

So the situation is even worse than the angry residents of Chemnitz think. When they speak to the mayor and the minister president about the media slanders against themselves and their fellow citizens, they don’t realize that those slanders are deliberately generated, inflated, and propagated by government agencies in collusion with the media.

Many thanks to MissPiggy for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Video transcript:

00:00   As you can see behind me here, people are clapping. Unfortunately, from back here
00:05   in the back row I can’t tell you what has been said. However, it seems
00:09   to have been a response to a statement made by one of the citizens.
00:13   Apart from that, among those present here, I only saw a few
00:17   of them demonstrating. I certainly did not see the press. And what was being said
00:21   by the media outlets Sunday evening on television was one long continuous LIE!
00:27   I have to say that now. On the outskirts of the unregistered demonstration,
00:38   I was not a participant in the “official” demonstration. Well, I wanted
00:42   to join the Firebirds, with four families that are our friends. It was an unofficial
00:47   Demonstration, but there were no incidents from the side demonstrations. From what
00:51   I witnessed, there weren’t any injuries either. There is this one small cell phone video
00:58   where some stupid man dressed in black looks like he is chasing a foreign-looking man.
01:04   That was it! And you in the press — stop saying bad things about Chemnitz!
01:10   We are proud of our city and we won’t put up with it!
01:14   And I want to make that perfectly clear. The second thing I want to say:
01:19   in 2015 so many foreigners came to Germany. A former interior minister
01:24   said even back then that it was a massive mistake admitting countless
01:28   people without documentation. Why did this happen? And then came the “we can do it”.
01:34   So now for the last three years, in all cities all over Germany, or in many cities,
01:38   we have continuous criminal offenses occurring, which are being trivialised.
01:45   If an Arab is provoked by a non-Jew wearing a kippah and wants to whip him
01:53   with a belt buckle, then the news is stinking full of that, but if here in Saxony
02:00   people are doing their jobs properly and are afraid walking home from
02:05   the theater at night or can’t walk through the park for the victims of fascism.
02:10   If you try to go through the Red Tower passage, you will be
02:14   scanned from top to bottom to see if you might be a potential narcotics customer.
02:18   This has to stop! We aren’t going to put up with it anymore!
02:22   They stand outside…and that’s why — It is the media that discredits us! — Exactly!
02:28   I’m asking you, to make it perfectly clear — we need integration measures,
02:32   but these measures should be managed in such a way that they also
02:36   understand our culture and also adapt to it. When I’m Dubai and if kiss my wife,
02:43   I’ll go to prison for six months, and when they touch our girls, they
02:50   they don’t even get a slap on the wrist.
02:54   Saxony Minister: So first, the video that you mentioned, is a reality and even if it were
03:08   just this one case — it’s still too much. Because, he wants… slowly, slowly
03:19   slowly, slowly, I’ve just heard a plea about the decency of this city and that
03:27   I firmly believe and I’m firmly convinced of. Which means every case and
03:31   even if only one — is too much. So, first, now secondly, it was not just one,
03:35   but it was about two dozen. So we can verify the numbers. There were complaints
03:43   filed with the police; there were witnesses and so on. —But If I may, when this
03:55   is being described as “hunting” or “pogrom” — that is wrong. That’s not what authorities
03:59   determined and it is totally exaggerated. It’s just nonsense. I agree that there should
04:03   be a pushback against such language.
04:07   So, you all do not need to scream like that because I… I said that myself, several times
04:17   on TV today and I just said it again. Secondly, secondly, slowly, when
04:27   the matter is as you say, that you are afraid to walk through the park.
04:34   That people are being harassed there, then that is something for the police and
04:41   slowly… let me say this, I am someone who is quite decidedly against lawless spaces.
04:49   I experienced this in other places, such as in Dresden Neustadt, or at the Wiener Platz
04:55   in front of Dresden’s central train station. Similarly, we will solve these
04:59   same problems in Chemnitz now. If that’s how it was, then we will do it differently
05:04   in the future. That goes without saying. And if you say, well great, but something
05:10   could have been done sooner. Agreed. I didn’t have similar experiences because my
05:14   visits to Chemnitz are quite different, but… No, thank you, thanks a lot
05:22   for pointing that out; I’m very often without security staff when I travel because
05:28   I like that much better because then I meet a lot of people and therefore, once again
05:34   we will do it differently in the future. That’s one point we no longer need to discuss.
05:38   Well, my name is Monika Krause, I’m a nurse from Chemnitz. And I would first
05:42   like to say a word in defence of you… —Of me? —Of you, because from the beginning
05:48   you were the first and only one who did not categorize all citizens of Chemnitz as Nazis.
05:55   In a short interview I heard this and I thought that was good.
06:03   It’s nice to have someone say it, because I would put on sackcloth and ashes
06:10   if it were me discrediting you. That’s just not my opinion.
06:14   Yes, you already said it, so we have to get to the bottom of it
06:18   without judging one another. I would like to say very briefly — I, too, was at Monday’s
06:23   demonstration, I went with my husband. We visited the memorial place
06:29   for the man who died. We were approached by a Spiegel TV team, I don’t know,
06:36   some may have seen me in this interview and I just wanted to say at that moment that I’m
06:42   sick of the fact that when Germans dare to say a non-German committed a crime,
06:48   they are immediately condemned as a Nazis or right wing extremists.
06:54   And briefly, I would also like to say that democracy does not work in
07:00   one direction only. There are rights, but there are just as many duties.
07:07   I work in a doctor’s office in a rural area. Madame Mayor might be familiar
07:11   with the area, Reichenheim. We’re doing fine, that’s not the question at all.
07:17   We work hard. There are many nice people in Reichenheim who
07:22   keep their streets clean we all have a good relationship with one another.
07:26   Recently, this past Sunday, we learned that the kindergarten in Reichenheim
07:30   will be closed. My children went to this kindergarten, my grandchildren would have
07:36   gone as well. It has been closed since February for renovations, which it needed.
07:40   It’s a flat-roofed building with a beautiful garden by the forest. On Sunday
07:44   there’s a short message from Radio Chemnitz, the city council has decided
07:52   that the kindergarten in Reichenheim will be closed and will not reopen.
07:56   We started a petition movement. We collected more than 700 signatures,
08:01   which was just dismissed. We met with members of parliament,
08:05   still no response. I even tried again today on my way here from work. I asked
08:09   if this was the final decision. Will the kindergarten be closed?
08:13   The answer was, “Yes, probably yes.” So and then comes the news someone
08:19   has been stabbed. You must understand that people no longer have confidence
08:23   in the government. Diligent people who do their jobs here,
08:29   who pay their taxes here and we all live on them, you both live from
08:33   our taxpayer money. And when Mr. Maas stands there and says (on TV)
08:37   the billions spent on integration aren’t taken from the German people.
08:42   Yes, the truth is, we lack even basic elements. We need new schools, we need
08:46   new teachers, we need new kindergartens, and there aren’t enough day care rooms —
08:51   there’s nothing. That’s why you have to understand why people are taking
08:55   to the streets now. It is the same reason I was demonstrating on Monday.
08:59   This really affects me; I couldn’t sleep for days. My husband tells me to calm down.
09:05   I was in the middle of the demonstrators, they were people like you and me.
09:09   I met many acquaintances: they are kindergarten teachers, doctors, lawyers;
09:15   these are all people who are who work in normal jobs, who care about Chemnitz,
09:23   who are worried and say they refuse to let their city be taken over.
09:28   We want to go into the city without fear. So when SPD delegates say — maybe a few
09:32   here know the interview I mean — they said, “What are they complaining about?
09:37   They all have work, and are lucky enough to go vacation.” That’s not the point at all.
09:46   THEY are exploiting the situation! None of the demonstration organisers
09:53   wanted them there. Explain to me please, how that could have been avoided?
09:59   I was horrified by these images that were seen nationwide, worldwide;
10:05   that was not the demonstration. The first… fireworks that went off
10:14   were from those on the right side of the Marx monument. No, the first
10:18   came from there. And then stones and bottles flew from the left side.
10:31   And then I wanted to say one more thing. I’m certainly not the bravest person,
10:35   but at no time was I ever afraid for my life during the demonstration, and
10:39   the police were never overwhelmed. That has to be said.
10:46   Well then, thank you. —For anyone who wasn’t at the demonstration, those images
10:51   make it look like a civil war had broken out. And as a democratic person,
10:59   you must admit, everything must be seen from both perspectives,
11:04   and that is not the case in this instance. It is really a pity that no one was fair enough
11:09   to admit that most of the participants in the demonstration were peaceful.
11:13   We have video footage showing the march through Chemnitz; it shows
11:18   that two-thirds were peaceful citizens. They were senior citizens, I was really
11:24   surprised to see them there, but it show just how charged the topic is.
11:33   So, I would give you politicians some advice, if I may allow myself. Please stop speaking
11:38   in half-truths, this drives people into the wrong camps. Honesty
11:45   should be on your agenda. And the journalism, I’m not sure who is directing
11:54   it, but there is no objectivity in the reporting anymore.
11:58   Minister: Now we have to think about this with each other, because I’ve heard that
12:02   two or three times now —no half-truths, telling the facts, telling the truth.
12:06   Yes, how do we do that now? Where are we going to get them?
12:10   Slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, slowly, I’m so very, first of all, as far as the
12:19   demonstrations, I believe it happened as you have described it, although
12:24   now you have to consider the following, everyone must answer this question
12:28   for themselves. If you had known that at this event, there would be people
12:33   for whom doing the Hitler salute is “normal”, then I think many people say…
12:39   There weren’t any anywhere — there was no one who showed the Hitler salute.
12:43   No, well, we have, we have the, slowly, we have a total of four, I think,
12:52   I can check it to say exactly, four people, and there were certainly no
12:57   Out of thousands? —It doesn’t matter. I don’t know why you are getting so upset…
13:04   Because we were there. — Yes, but if you were there, that can’t be argued against,
13:08   but this took place, people were there doing the Hitler salute;
13:13   it wasn’t you obviously.. —But that’s not, not all the people. —Slowly,
13:21   I don’t understand your reaction. I asked a single, I have asked a single question,
13:25   and that is whether or not we are accepting that, at an event we attend,
13:30   that we are going to, if something like this happens, and I would
13:37   always answer the question with “no”. And that’s what I said. As a result, I wish
13:45   that we could have this discussion in a rational and civilized way, as it
13:50   was said in the beginning and I have agreed already, if the topic of criminality is
13:54   something special occurring here, then we need to do something about it,
13:59   as we agreed earlier. So far, so good. This is something else.
14:06   It’s not Sunday anymore; it’s not Monday anymore, but today is Thursday, and
14:12   it begs the question whether we are able manage this by disarming the emotional
14:16   part and talking reasonably with each other, to ask important questions
14:22   so we can make some progress in the future, or should we continue
14:26   to blame each other? Yes, that I change, either. And the question, where do the
14:30   facts come from, is of course a crucial one. This is why I have requested from the police
14:38   and judiciary — you have just defended them as well, which is also important for me.
14:45   For me, the police, police officers, also public prosecutors, judges, these are
14:51   personalities I trust — unless the contrary is proven, but first I put my trust in them.
14:58   And I would like — thank you — that these people in the future would be strengthened
15:08   in their ability to inform us all of what is true and is not. So, if there are incidents
15:12   with foreigners, thefts, whatever; then we want to know that, but if that’s not the case,
15:16   we want to know it too. One thing is sure: that will be the consequence of this meeting.
15:20   Because I’m quite convinced that we have differing truths. Those circulating
15:30   on the net and the other from outside. And of course that’s deadly, because then
15:36   we accuse each other the entire time of not saying what is true. One person recognizes
15:40   this as true and the other recognizes that as true. That’s going to change.
15:45   Slowly. Shouldn’t we let the others have their say? But very short. Very short.
15:53   I think that this whole thing has escalated so much because the media have driven
15:57   it so much, and I think the state should intervene and say that there were just five
16:02   idiots who did the Hitler salute, but that was not the majority of demonstrators.
16:08   Also, if the camera were just moved a bit to the right then everyone would have seen
16:12   that there were only ordinary citizens. I cannot understand the outrage
16:16   surrounding this demonstration. It is all just a media frenzy, and I think journalism
16:24   has a very important job in a country. Sometimes it used for good
16:30   as well as for bad. In the last few years it has been more bad than good,
16:34   not just for me, but many others as well. Good evening, my name is Knupf.
16:38   I would also like to thank the Minister President
16:41   for mentioning fairness, and that is exactly what this lady said earlier;
16:47   the media coverage has been a catastrophe! My sister called me
16:54   from England. She thought we all turned into fascist racist hordes that
17:00   march through Chemnitz and hunt foreigners. And another thing,
17:05   Minister President, in the Bild newspaper on Monday, they wrote that
17:12   the official police report lists three assaults. Only three.
17:16   On Monday, my grandson was there at the demonstration, just like this lady
17:20   and sure, a few Nazis misused the event for their own purposes, but we can’t say
17:28   that normal citizens who were showing their dissatisfaction are all Nazis,
17:39   and all racists, too. And that is the problem. Let me explain… the basic
17:51   problem we have is when Pegida started marches in Dresden, they were
17:59   all called Nazis and racists too, right? The “raging citizens” had something to say;
18:11   none of it was taken seriously. After the last election, we all asked ourselves why the
18:16   AfD was so strong suddenly? So then, all those people became Nazis and racists, too.
18:20   It is a legal political party, I must add. I didn’t vote for them, but they are legal.
18:32   It’s just not right. I don’t understand it. Let me just say one more thing to the mayor.
18:38   The fact that you did not defend the citizen of Chemnitz is insulting.
18:46   Many in this city are resentful of this fact. They really resent it.
18:50   OK, now, thank you for the question. I think we have arrived at a point. I was
19:00   together with Ms. Ludwig the entire day. Yesterday as well.
19:04   I can say — and witnessed how she defended the citizens of her city multiple times.
19:11   But this is just what I have experienced. That is expected of a mayor and
19:18   that’s exactly what she did in this difficult time. But now we are back to this point.
19:23   You described what happened. So in England, in Finland, an image,
19:30   Excuse me what? Even in Ecuador. This image of how things are
19:34   (or not) has been sent. Yes, so I think we should make sure that it stops.
19:43   Slowly, Slowly, don’t get upset. We should assure that it stops,
19:52   and that people find out what great people live here and how it really is here.
 

8 thoughts on “A Town Hall Meeting in Chemnitz”

  2. I did mention the infiltration of all right wing groups, opposing the governments allowing Muslims et al into their countries . That is old news . Even the skin heads in East Germany were infiltrated years ago and they are run by intelligence bodies for exactly that reason , namely , to discredit the right by using violence on the streets.Most skin heads dont know that . Its nothing new under the sun.

  3. Where are the reports of TownHalls — these past three years — wherein Germans were given a voice and *applauded* for their courage to speak out against the abuses perpetrated upon them by their very own government using the proxies of imported mercenaries?

    Where is that report?

    You, reader, need to focus on the adjective, “*applauded.*”

    If you invite or permit the stranger in and he defiles (disrespects) not only your person but your culture, then that human (no matter how outwardly “sweet”) is no longer a stranger but should be recognized as one who by his “sweetness” seeks to disarm and overcome you — and that, as seen these past three years, in the most vicious and contemptuously inhumane ways.

  4. The Minister-President is a smug piece of work. I look forward to his concession speech after the next election.

  5. If the Mu[uslim]s didn’t commit a single crime they would still be an existential threat to the German way of life. They will be a burden to the taxpayers their entire lives. They will never replace the industrious Germans because they don’t want to.

    And having a daughter and grandchild in Bavaria makes it hard for me not to worry all the time.

  6. My god what a condescending way of talking to people.”slowly, slowly ” (you little children, llisten to me, I’m better and smarter than you). And of course they are recording what everyone says and analyzing it very carefully to see if these citizens can be prosecuted later for “hate speech” against the “new Germans”.

    I used to travel in Germany extensively and have family there but I will not be visiting again. Last time I was in Regensburg the Turkish mafia showed up with their caravan of benz sedans and huge ugly body guards escorting the “boss” into a run down graffiti covered office front in a back street. No police to be seen. I guess they were checking social media for hate speech violations. Then in Köln I had a gang of 6 young Africans run at my wife and I and pretend to swing a punch at me, all to their great amusement. They thought it was quite the joke to try to “scare” a couple approaching 70 years old. No I won’t be returning.

    The Germans I know are just afraid to complain or say anything. That reference in the tape about” you have a job and can take vacation” is a not so veiled threat. Complain and you won’t have a job and certainly won’t be taking any vacations after we label you a nazi and charge you with violations of the public order code regarding speech. Be quiet and you can continue to live. Speak out, well you know. These people are being quite brave in the New Germany.

  7. Not a shred of sympathy from the minister-president. His only answer to the complaints about the behaviour of the migrants is; “that is a Police matter.” No it isn’t, it is a Political matter. More Police on the streets will not solve the obnoxious behaviour of migrants. It is the outward expression of their culture, religion and upbringing in the country they came from.
    Hopefully next election time the good people of Chemnitz send a “quickly leave” message to the minister-president.

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