good morning! today i’ll be covering the “covid-denier” protests at the german bundestag. the gov. is amending the “infection protection law”, but the far-right conspiracy scene sees this as the end of democracy + compares it to hitler’s seizure of power
#b1811 #querdenken THREAD

recent #querdenken demos have been particularly violent + police has completely failed to even enforce demo bans. today 12 demos have been registered by the far-right and conspiracy scene. all have been banned by the interior ministry but several 1000s are still expected
#b1811

the mood in telegram groups in the far-right and conspiracy scene has been particularly aggressive in the run up to this demo: for them, today is a “day x”, an all or nothing fight against a totalitarian world conspiracy. the situation is explosive and dangerous
#b1811

the situation is particularly dangerous for journalists covering #querdenken demos. at a recent demo in leipzig ( #le0711), over 40 journalists were attacked, injured and spat at. the berlin police has already said that today they won’t be able to protect journalists.
#b1811

and to whoever claims “they’re not nazis, they’re concerned citizens”, here’s a demoflyer which reads like who’s who of the far-right scene: featuring the neonazi parties “III. weg” + NPD, the far-right “generation identity”, the hooligan “german defence league” + AfD
#b1811

“eltern stehen auf” - “parents stand up” on the marschallbrücke/wilhelmstr. police cordons all around bundestag. lots of covid-deniers with peace flags seemingly without a plan after several demos were banned by interior ministry
#b1811 #querdenken

few 100 covid deniers on marschallbrücke. there are peace flags, hannah arendt quotes, lots of drumming and occasional nazi hooligans.
#b1811

police are forcing the demonstrators to wear masks now. speaker says people can also refuse as an act of protest, get their details taken down by police and come back later
#b1811

few thousand covid deniers at brandenburger tor. lots of rainbow flags, heart balloons, antivaxxer signs and, of course, incessant drumming
#b1811

antisemitic bingo on a sign at brandenburger tor: star of david, new world order, satanic conspiracy, ritual murder of children.
#b1811

“the stasi lives”. there’s a piano concert at brandenburger tor.
#b1811

“fuck new world order”
#b1811

far-right sovereignist “reichsbürger” flag with peace signs and the US flag
#b1811

singing and dancing at the soviet memorial. they’re now forming a dancing chain and clapping to a harmonica solo
#b1811

tankman 2020 at the soviet memorial
#b1811

#noAdD
#b1811

around 100 people marching down straße des 17. juni with “guilty” signs featuring politicians, virologists and journalists that the covid deniers want to imprison
#b1811 #querdenken

several thousand covid deniers now shouting “open up!” police are blocking the way. they want to go through the park to the bundestag but there us a demo ban zone right before the parliament building
#b1811

mood is getting more aggressive. people are shouting at me for wearing a mask, asking which side i’m on. the crowd then started shouting “lügenpresse” (lying press) at me. very quickly, their supposedly peaceful facade crumbles
#b1811 #querdenken

more trivialization of nazi germany
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a man claiming to be an organizer has said the demo is officially over and he’s no longer responsible for what happens. police are trying to make announcements over speakers but the crowd starts screaming and banging and you can’t hear anything
#b1811

small antifascist counter-demo on the other side of brandenburger tor. about 50 people here.
#b1811

mood is getting more aggressive, people refusing to leave after demo officially ended. police using water canons but covid deniers are determined to stay
#b1811 #querdenken

police are clearing the #querdenken-demo at the reichstag with water canons. crowd is soaked, many retreating. covid deniers don’t want to go home though. they’re chanting “resistance!” #b1811

another video of police clearing the crowd. the demo has officially ended but thousands of people are still here #b1811 #querdenken

police continuously using water canons. covid deniers don’t look too happy. in telegram groups some suspect that the canons are either firing chemtrails or water mixed with vaccinations
#b1811