Occupy Berlin
Occupy Germany (English for Busy Germany ) is the German part of the Occupy movement and the generic term for Occupy initiatives in Germany.
Model of Occupy Germany is the U.S. Occupy Wall Street movement, which had occupied from mid- September to mid-November 2011 the New York Zuccotti Park near Wall Street. It is demanded by all Occupy movements, for example, that social inequalities, speculation by banks and the impact of the economic aims to combat on politics. Specific demands of the heterogeneous movement lacking. The protesters see themselves as representative of the lower 99%, the face of the richest 1 % of the population.
Self- representation of Occupy Germany
Occupy Germany presents itself on its website as a connected mainly via the Internet movement without hierarchies or leaders is what making up the difference as to a party or other organization. It was convinced to have to inform and discuss fundamental problems in the economic, political and social system, what the moment with each other connecting performing. Occupy Germany would be enlightening active, seek answers and " the pressure of the mass of the people " working for change. The social rules would have to be reconsidered.
Peculiarity of the situation in Germany
The economist Thomas Straubhaar denied a permanent opportunity for the German Occupy movement because the conditions of a developed welfare state, lower unemployment and minimal inflation for the average German citizens were better than in the country of origin of the movement, the United States. Also, the political scientist Lothar Probst emphasized these international differences and the " relatively stable " situation in Germany. The economic crisis has not reached people's daily lives as dramatically as in other countries. Stefan Elling House, deputy head of the Bremen State Office for Political Education, this assessment followed. The protest must reach other population groups in order to develop the same intensity as in the United States or Spain.
Occupy Germany in cities
In mid-October 2011, there were over Germany Occupy initiatives in the following cities: Frankfurt, Berlin, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Karlsruhe, Saarbrücken, Cologne, Nuremberg, Oldenburg, Erfurt, Heidelberg, Lübeck, Aachen, Bremen, Kiel, Osnabrück, Bonn, Münster, Bochum, Dresden, Zeulenroda, Hannover and Stuttgart and ten other cities or regions. The number of participants in each city are initially inaccurate or unknown, as there are also online activists and advocates who must be involved in the protests in the streets not necessarily. But above the number of participants of the demonstrations estimates before both the police and the organizer.
Course of the demonstrations
As the center of protests in Germany, the banking metropolis of Frankfurt am Main, home to various bank headquarters, the Frankfurt Stock Exchange and the European Central Bank emerged. Political scientist Michael Zürn According to the shows this to the change of global protest culture that no longer directed against the national governments, but compared to national regulations and institutions.
Demonstrations took place in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Cologne, Dusseldorf and Stuttgart, 15 October 2011, one going back to the Spanish movement Democracia Real Ya International Day of Action, as well. Nationwide, attended by about 40,000 people in 50 cities participated. In Frankfurt, attracted around 5,000 protesters outside the building of the European Central Bank and about 150 of them began an indefinite time there a tent camp set up ( it was on 16 May 2012 to 20 May temporarily and peacefully cleared by the police ).
In Hamburg, a protest camp against HSH Nordbank was started following a demonstration with 2000 participants. In Berlin attracted between 5,000 and 10,000 people in front of the Chancellery. Again, a tent camp was established next to the parish church. Another camp at Berlin Bundespressestrand beach was three weeks later and was disbanded at the instigation of the owner of the area, the Federal Agency for Real Estate, on January 9, 2012. In Cologne, about 1,500 people demonstrated in Dusseldorf about 1000, as much in Leipzig. Even in the cities of Aachen, Bochum, Dortmund, Minden, Bielefeld, Paderborn and Solingen, there were demonstrations.
A week later repeated immediately before a European Council summit demonstrations. In Frankfurt, Berlin, Cologne, Dusseldorf and other cities gathered 7500-10000 participants. Focus of the protests was in Germany Frankfurt again with at least 4,000 participants.
On October 29, it came with less participation than in previous weeks, again to demonstrations in Frankfurt, Berlin and Dusseldorf. In the fourth week, on November 5, went from Frankfurt Camp a demonstration with about 1,200 participants.
November 12, 2011 were demonstrators with the participation of the Occupy movement human chains around the Reichstag building in Berlin and Frankfurt's financial district. In Frankfurt, took up to 10,000, in Berlin up to 8,000 people participated. Called had an alliance of organizations Attac, Campact and nature lovers along with 25 other organizations. Representatives of the Occupy movement held a speech that was previously written using an EtherPad in community work at the Berlin final rally.
The German Occupy movement supported the Blockupy protests in Frankfurt in May 2012., The police cleared the middle of May temporarily Frankfurt tent camp in front of the ECB.
In July 2012, built Occupy activists, during the art exhibition Documenta (13 ), in the Museum Fridericianum in Kassel a terraced house tent city.
Since November 2012 Occupy Hamburg is the last camp in Germany.
In May and June 2013, involved in the Occupy Blockupy reissue and posted this time their tents on the grounds at Rebstockbad.
Reception in German politics
In Germany called, among other things, the globalization network Attac and politician of the Left Party, including Klaus Ernst, Sahra Wagenknecht and Oskar Lafontaine, in support of the protests. Politicians such as Secretary General of the SPD Andrea Nahles, the Members of the European Parliament Giegold, the parliamentary leader of the German Bundestag, Renate Künast (both Alliance 90/The Greens ) and the chairman of the German Trade Union Federation, Michael Sommer (SPD ) expressed their solidarity with the protests.
The German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble expressed understanding of the movement, he watched it " with great attention " and take the protests " very seriously ". The Chancellor himself expressed " great understanding " for the protests. The time wrote on October 22, 2011: " A maximum of broad coalition seems to have formed that supports the protests, whether out of genuine conviction or tactical opportunism. "
Joachim Gauck, who later became President and former Federal Commissioner for the Stasi Records, called the current " anti-capitalism debate" (Süddeutsche ) " unspeakably stupid ". The dream of a world in which one can get rid of the bond markets, is a romantic notion. In allusion to the state-owned banks in the GDR, he questioned whether deposits are safer if the financial sector is being waged by politicians.
Suspected Zeitgeist influence and representation claim
The taz warned under the heading " The Dark Side of Bank protest " against the " infiltration" of the Occupy movement by an " obscure U.S. union " called Zeitgeist Movement, the former " activist arm" of the so-called Venus Project. According to one of the Occupy organizers, myself belong to this movement, were about 25 of the protesters in tents in front of the ECB Zeitgeist trailer. This reacted in Frankfurt " allergic to parties and trade unions " and prohibit, the taz, the camp whose flags and symbols. The Zeitgeist Movement believe in " unique, scientific " answers to social questions and relies on the "guru" Peter Joseph, the propagating an " obscure mixture of criticism of religion, mysticism and conspiracy theories ." The mirror portrayed the " activists " Wolfram Sienese, who appeared as a spokesperson for the Occupy movement in various media. Sienese refers to the second and third of Joseph's Zeitgeist films, in which the monetary and interest rate policies of the U.S. am criticized and so the mirror, " in parts drift into conspiracy theories". Less than a week later Sienese moved back from the public and moved in December 2011 Facebook position on the allegations. On the website of Occupy Frankfurt was clarified that the movement sees itself as a collective and a hierarchical organization of refuse; for media inquiries should be responsible, a group of speakers. Occupy: Frankfurt published a critical Podcast Zeitgeist Movement.