Voices against Hate

because they spread fear

Right-wing extremists strive for a society based on the principle that might makes right. They want to decide who can go where and who can say what – at the village fair, within the parents’ association, on the market square. They cultivate an atmosphere of fear intended to render dissent and open conviviality impossible.

because they oppose freedom of the press

The far-right National Democratic Party (NPD) is the only political party represented in Germany’s local parliaments that excludes the public from its party congresses. Journalists are derided as “riff-raff” and threatened. Representatives of the press have been beaten by NPD functionaries on multiple occasions.

because they’re violent

One NPD member standing for election in Brandenburg in 2008 was a man who has chased an Algerian to death in Guben. Not only do right-wing extremists advocate violence, but they act violently themselves. Some of them do not shrink from murdering people.

because they want to see women barefoot and pregnant

In the NPD’s view, the role of women is primarily that of securing the “existence of the German people”. If the NPD had its way, women would have only limited access to employment, and they would be prohibited from practicing certain professions. They would be allowed to practice only traditional female professions (midwife, secretary).

because they hold parliaments in contempt

One NPD member entered the city parliament of Schwerin armed with a club. Another NPDdelegate deals in weapons from his electoral office. Brandenburg delegates of the far-right party German People’s Union (DVU) mock the victims of Nazi rule and take advantage of every available opportunity to agitate against parts of the population.

because they’re in cahoots with neo-Nazis

Support for the violent neo-Nazi organizations is part of the NPD’s party line. Neo-Nazi leaders are active in the NPD’s executive committee and coordinate the party’s cooperation with neo-Nazi organizations. The DVU cultivates a more civil image, but neo-Nazis are welcome guests at party events such as the DVU’s summer festival, where Nazi music is played.

because they slur Germany’s national football team

If right-wing extremists had their way, Gomez, Klose, Neuville, Podolski, Trochowski, Özil and Cacau would not be allowed to compete for Germany at football tournaments. While football fans celebrate together, the NPD insults the German team by proffering its racial ideology.

because they commit crimes

The majority of the NPD members elected into the party’s executive committee in 2009 has a criminal record. The crimes for which these party members have been convicted include violation of the War Weapons Control Act, membership in a criminal organization, libel, assault and battery and incitement to racial hatred.

because they’ve been known to embezzle money

The NPD’s most recent treasurer is currently serving a prison sentence for embezzling more than 700,000 euros. The NPD has made false claims in its statement of accounts for years. The DVUhas repeatedly been admonished for misusage of the party’s parliamentary budget. Hundreds of thousands of euros have been passed on to private individuals and firms.

because they harm tourism

Tourism and racism don’t go together. In Brandenburg, tourism provides some 125,000 jobs. More than 40 million euros are lost every year because potential visitors cancel their trips to Brandenburg for fear of Nazis.

because they sell music replete with hate speech

Several NPD delegates and members of the party’s executive committee make money by selling Nazi CD‘s. Tens of thousands of such CD‘s have been distributed free of charge on school campuses. The estate of one member of the DVU’s executive committee is Brandenburg’s most heavily used venue for right-wing rock concerts.

because they deny history

NPD leader Udo Voigt believes Hitler was a “great German statesman”. He has also proposed awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to a Nazi war criminal. He denies that the Nazis murdered six million people. The DVU’s party newspaper slurs Jews and glorifies Nazi war crimes as acts of heroism.

because they’re bad for children

Tent camps organized by HDJ, an organization whose active members included numerous NPDfunctionaries and which has now been banned, saw children being subjected to paramilitary drills. They were forced to beat each other and march carrying heavy equipment for miles.

because they’re bad for the economy

Some 300 foreign firms provide roughly 40,000 jobs in Brandenburg, half of them in industry. Trade unions and business associations agree that racism deters potential investors and skilled workers.

because they want to smash workers’s councils

The NPD wants to replace the German system of workers’ councils with one of “workers’ collectives”. The party expects blue- and white-collar workers to stop fighting for their interests  and subordinate themselves to entrepreneurs.

because they want education only for the rich

Right-wing extremists claim a person’s intelligence is fixed at birth. The DVU wants educational policy to be openly elitist. They don’t care to foster children’s potential. That is why the NPD wants to limit the number of day-care centers and eliminate comprehensive and day schools.

because they threaten our neighboring country

Germans and Poles live on both sides of an open border, and they want to shape their neighborly relations in a cooperative manner. But right-wing extremists would like to see large parts of Poland under German occupation. NPD posters provoke feelings of hatred in towns close to the border.

because they want to rip off pensioners

The NPD states in its party platform that it wants to “divest” foreigners from Germany’s old age pension scheme. No party should be allowed to relocate the resources blue-collar workers, white-collar workers and employers have paid into the pension fund. That would amount to theft.