With anger and concern we look back at the recent self-proclaimed antifascist demonstrations in Leipzig and Dresden. Namely the counter-demonstration in Dresden by „DresdenWidersetzen“ on 15.2 and the „Free Paul“ rally in front of the JVA Leipzig on 17.2.. While we obviously share the goals of these demos (fighting Nazis and standing in solidarity with our prisoners) these events also stand for the bitter reality of a non-revolutionary (and in this way apolitical) zionist hegemony in these „Antifa“ spaces in Germany.
So, what is happening?
In these types of demonstrations one can often find the phrase „no national or territorial flags“ as a „demo-consensus“- a consensus where the participant is not in any way part of, one could even say its a authoritarian decree to mitigate any controversy. That there is a not so small difference between national flags of colonial or imperialist powers, and of a flag which stands for (national) liberation and self-determination, is of course pointedly ignored. All to surpress any conflict about what Germans love to call the „conflict in the Middle-East“ (Nah-Ost-Konflikt), that there is this (assumed) huge gap in between the protestors that shall not come to light. Maybe one should ask oneself if there is a common understanding of the goals as a radical left at all…
Additionaly, we see a disturbing trend that „similar symbols“ are added to said phrase. This was used to exclude and other any person who wore a Kufiya in Dresden, as the ban on Kufiyas was announced with speakers during the demonstration. The same phrase was used at the „Free Paul“ demo in front of the JVA Leipzig. This is the doing of various more or less political and active „Antifa“ groups in Leipzig, especially ennerving groups like „Reclaim Antifa“, „Kappa“ and parts if not the whole AVL (Antifaschistische Vernetzung Leipzig). In the call for the demo stood: „The Antifascist Action should be enough as articulation“.
No – it isn’t!
Not if people can understand anything under that term – including supporting a fascist Zionist state and its genocidal goals, or protecting the interests of the state by engaging in bourgeois antifascism.
This brings us to the demonstrations in Dresden. Their orga was evidently taken over by Zionists. The front block was organized by „Antifas against Antisemitism“ who have in the past called for antifascists to unconditionally support Israel militarily in the „ongoing 3rd world war“ that „aims to destroy the West“. Despite a ban on national flags, Israeli flags (even in rainbow colours) and banners with propaganda for „Israeli“ settlements were tolerated in the demo, while Kufiyas were banned.
This is obviously an attempt to occupy protests with their zionist ideology and their manpower. We call to anyone who tolerates this behaviour to step up and do their best to fight this hegemony where it is worth, and let the Ultra-Germans sink themselves into the depth of the swamp of this scene here in Leipzig and in Dresden.
These opressive bans of anti-colonial symbolism have nothing to do with antifascism or „emancipation“ and we strongly condemn any action in this direction. We call on all organizers to refrain from similar rules for demonstrations, rallies or events – instead we would recommend phrases like „flags representing struggles against oppression and colonialism are welcome“ and to open a real discussion about this topic. Our antifascist and revolutionary struggle needs to be intersectional – or it doesn’t deserve to be called that.