Berlin – Monday is a special day again: there will be demonstrations again. The opponents of the Corona measures usually call it a Monday walk – based on the Monday demos of the peaceful opposition in the GDR. Many see this as pretentious, as a hostile takeover, as an unacceptable equation of resistance against the dictatorship of the time with protests in today’s democracy. And so opponents of the “government opponents” also meet on Mondays. These are not all pro-government people. On the other hand, many say that they miss one thing: clear distancing from right-wing extremists.
Thus, Monday in January 2022 is again the most political day of the week. Good this way. This is a sign of maturity, democracy and the will to express opinions. But it also reveals a serious problem. After almost 23 months of the pandemic, the fronts have hardened and society is divided in many ways. There is a wide range of opinions, but many do not feel heard with their worries and existential fears, their inability to pay due to the pandemic and their excessive demands in the constant fire of news and bans. Many feel patronized, not represented in debates, parliaments and talk shows. This is one of the reasons why so many take to the streets. That is their right.
Thoughts of prohibition are forbidden
Even if radical forces try to control the protest, the idea of a ban is out of the question. Even in heated political times, democracies must think in a strictly radical democratic manner: every opinion must find its place – if it is covered by the constitution. But anyone who resorts to violence or who calls for it or who shows the Hitler salute is committing a crime. And anyone who storms parliaments is deliberately going against the basic political consensus that disputes should be settled peacefully.
But every legitimate opinion must be said and heard. Not only in families and among friends – like in the GDR – but openly on the street. In a democracy, the street is the marketplace for freedom of expression.
But it’s not just about freedom of expression, it’s also about sovereignty. And so the Monday-goers have to ask themselves whether the civilized, serious critics want to set the tone or whether they leave it to the rabble-rousers, the Reich war flag-wavers. And they have to ask themselves why they usually don’t register their rallies and stick to the right to demonstrate, but instead arrange to go on unauthorized walks.
Accept the “stupidity of others”.
One problem with the various Monday demos is that there is no dialogue. Democracy means first and foremost dialogue – talking to each other. But at the moment people are at best standing opposite each other and talking past each other. Or they yell. Most of them only care about their opinion, hardly anyone listens. That’s stupid.
There are stupid people on all sides, and in a democracy they too have the right to free speech. And whether someone likes other political views mostly depends on their own point of view. Therefore, it is presumptuous not to accept the “stupidity of others”. That’s why it’s wrong to generalize cheaply. For example, if the entire spectrum of critics is generally described as aluminum hat wearers, as swaggerers, corona deniers, conspiracy theorists, enemies of science or even neo-Nazis.
Benjamin Pritzkuleit
The residents’ initiative Gethsemanekiez is opposed to the church of the same name being taken over by Corona deniers.
It is just as wrong when the Monday goers insult the others as pro-government lackeys of the Corona dictatorship of Mrs. Merkel and Mr. Scholz or denounce the media in general as a lying press.
All sides should disarm verbally and give up the flat black and white thinking. It’s not about right or wrong. Most of the answers to the many open questions will probably only be available after the pandemic. Today it’s about continuing to look each other in the eye, otherwise something crucial will break: the basic trust. That would be fatal.
Possible irreparable consequences
To get personal at this point for once: among the critics and doubters in our circle of acquaintances there are more clever people than rumblers. They usually go for a walk on Sundays and not on Mondays. But if such thoughtful people feel unprovokedly and persistently dubbed Nazis, the consequences could be irreparable. You could say: If you don’t listen to me anyway and count me among the bad guys, then I’ll turn away from this society.
The smart Democrats on all sides shouldn’t exclude anyone who doesn’t exclude themselves.
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