Neo-Nazis upstaged at protest (Wurtzbourg)

[struggle4progress]

From correspondents in Wurtzbourg, Germany
20mar05

MORE than 6,000 people staged a counter-protest today as about 150 neo-Nazi protesters marched in memory of the 60th anniversary of ... the March 16, 1945 bombardment of this small Bavarian town by allied forces during World War II. No incidents were reported <snip>

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,12603492%5E1702,00.html

[Kagemusha]

1. Easy to upstage people you twist laws against.

But well whatever. The future's more important than the politics of the past.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[POAS]

3. perhaps he meant

the twisting of laws the nazi's used to exterminate millions during WWII.

[FreepFryer]

5. If so, his post didn't say that. It indicated laws are twisted against

Nazis.

As if Nazism was a valid, legal political identity in Germany (thankfully, it is not).

[POAS]

10. Sorry, I forgot to end my post with

</sarcasm off>

I'll try to remember next time.

[steve2470]

4. you might do well to explain yourself, otherwise your life here will be

hard and short.

[Kellanved]

11. huh?

Are trying to side with those poor suppressed Nazis, who can't stage a nice militaristic march without being harassed by thousands of people who like the idea of a democratic and peaceful nation?
</sarcasm>

Incitement to murder is not covered by freedom of speech - nowhere. Also the German Constitution sets a pretty clear and fair set of rules - the general conception in the US about the German Freedom of Speech has the quality of an Urban Legend.

[It was not a pretzel]

12. really?

Sorry but I'm an anti-Nazi who's lived in Germany (or rather Bavaria)for 16 years, and I'm very much under the impression that Germany (or most of Europe for that matter) doesn't really value free speech.

Banning right-wing political parties doesn't make them go away, IMHO it just makes them stronger. As far as I'm concerned let them have there "coming out", I prefer to know who they are, and to listen to them only highlights embarssses them further.

Thats said, the few hundred who do march FOR them are hardcore. I can live with the young ones, they're mostly idiots jumping on the nationalistic bandwagon. The only time I've really felt utter hatred and disgust is when I see "original" Nazis joining in. They may be old, doesn't make them less dispicable though.

[Kellanved]

14. well

The record is pretty clear; left wing parties were banned at least as often as right wing parties.

The current debate in Germany and France is showing one thing: the Nazi parties are getting better in operating inside the rules - albeit just barely. Their current borderline approach renders the normal legal means to keep them in check useless. While I agree to protect Freedom of Speech, Germany's history alone is justification enough for me to uphold my position: no protection for Nazis.

[phrenzy]

6. Free speech

Is more important than Neo-Nazis. That's how I look at it.

Similarly, in the US, free speech to me is too important to abridge it out of fear of some rednecks walking around screaming "white power"

The only real defense against that kind of ignorance is information. NOT SUPRESSION of the demonstration of that ignorance.

[steve2470]

7. I agree with you. I just want him to clarify his post nt

[FreepFryer]

8. Unfortunately, when a political party commits mass genocide,

tolerance is not an option.

And, your right to free speech is abridged more than you could ever tolerate, if you cared to investigate.

For example, on college campuses, on television, etc.

Outlawing the Nazi party was and is a real defense against Nazis, if not their ideas.

[steve2470]

9. I also agree with you. In Germany, they MUST outlaw all displays of

neo-Nazi thinking because, duh, their history. Unbelievably there are still idiots in Germany that romanticize the Nazis.

[solinvictus]

16. Outlawing ideas?

Should Marxism be classified with that as well since Stalin and Mao both made Hitler look like an amateur?

[FreepFryer]

17. Not ideas, political organizations.

In this case, outlawing a specific political party who abrogated any pretense at peaceful coexistence and marched across Europe armed with murderous anti-Semitic and anti- anti- anti-... etc.

Anyway, for me to argue for (or you to argue against) the legality of the Nazi party is foolish.

If you want to go out tomorrow and buy a book on Nazism, that's perfectly acceptable.

However, if you want to wear an armband and want to march through Berlin, not so great. Not legal.

And your assertions about Stalin and Mao are both completely off-base. We're not talking numbers here, we're talking about expansionist murder of wholesale peoples. Stalin and Mao both did so (as does Bush), but Hitler is still king of that trash heap.

[benburch]

13. Who would have thought there would be 150 Republicans in Germany? nt

[MsMagnificent]

15. I don't see anything pro-Nazi in that post or article

Can you point it out to me? Maybe it's just me and I'm missing something altogether.

When I read the post, before I went to the comments, I understood it as ironically funny.
--a mere 150 Neo-Nazi's showed up with their shit-brown-shirts and were vastly outnumbered by six thousand protesting against THEM! LOL

What's wrong with that? I think it's very damn cool. :smoke:


***I've read it about 5 times each and I still don't see it.