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Revival of famous "monday-protests" in Germany

category international | worker & community struggles and protests | news report author Wednesday August 18, 2004 02:45author by zapatist Report this post to the editors

- struggle against social cuts -

The so called "monday-protests" in Germany (which led to the end of former GDR in 1990) are coming up again: this time with the aim to fight the social cuts planned by the Schröder government

It began 3 weeks ago in eastern germany: in a couple of cities a few hundred people protested against the "HARTZ 4" program and the "Agenda 2010" which are government plans that will have an deep impact on workers and unemployed people. Welfare money will be cut down dramatically. The situation in eastern germany is that the average unemployment rate is at about more than 20%. So finding work is almost impossible and pupils who finish school often dont find any job at all. "Hartz 4" will make millions of people live with not more than 300 Euro per month.

-3 weeks ago, on monday, a few people in a few cities shouted "We are the people" and "We will stop Hartz 4", "Down with the government" or even "Smash capitalism!".

-2 weeks ago, on monday, 50.000 people in 36 cities protested.

-Last Monday more than 100.000 people in about 140 cities all over the country protested; the wave of demonstrations even reached the western part of germany.

The protests will continue and are supposed to grow.

The political parties, The unions and even social movements like e.g. Attac were surprised by the spontaneous protests.It was just the "ordinaryl" people who went out on the streets. And their will to fight "Hartz 4" and the whole government is very strong. In Berlin last monday the first "monday protest" started with 5000 people and after walking through the city more than 25.000 joined them - came down from their houses, out of the super markets and so on...
The government and the chancellor are getting more and more nervous - it seems that the further development of the protest can´t be controlled...
Next monday the protests will surely take place in even more cities, with even more protesters and with even more hate on the governments plans. The protesters said they will become more and more and will continue the protests "until Hartz 4 is shut down or until the government has to step back. We once finished the GDR. We will finish every one who puts pressure on us. They should not underestimate the people. Enough is enough."

all indymedia reports about the growing protest (in german):

http://germany.indymedia.org/2004/08/89225.shtml

author by slashpublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 13:01author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There are millions foreigners in Germany to steal their jobs. For example 2,4% of population are turkish immigrants. Only 91,5% of the population are germans. Germans should wake up, they are not responsible for what nazis did. There is no reason for racism, but they should think themselves first. They should wake up to see that they are losing their country and take it back. Every year more and more immigrants are coming. This means nothing good for the german population.

author by Terencepublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 14:24author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Slash you are an idiot. Unemployment and the historically huge cuts in social welfare and living conditions that are happening are not because of immigrants. They are because the capitalist ruling class want to retain their profits in a recession and are doing that by attacking the working class.

German workers need to unite with workers of all nationalities in their country to defeat these attacks. The capitalists would love to see the working class turn on itself as you are proposing.

Related Link: http://www.socialistworld.net/eng/2004/08/18germany.html
author by slashpublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 15:05author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Terence!

Cuts in social welfare are not because of capitalists wanting to get more profits, it is because the society cant afford to pay this welfare anymore. Only solution is to either raise taxes (not good for workers because they get less money) or cut social welfare. This is simple mathematics. If counselor Schroder and his government have only 1000 euros and 10 welfare clients, he cant give them 200 each. It is impossible. The only way to do it would be to have less welfare clients and easiest way to do it to give germans the jobs immigrants are occupying at the moment. You can surely understand that if there is 10 jobs and 20 people (10 germans and 10 immigrants) they cant all have jobs. Without these immigrants all germans would have jobs. This is also simple mathematics. German people should think themselves first and what they need. This is not racism, this is realism.

author by Stephen Daedaluspublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 17:56author address author phone Report this post to the editors

We only have to look to Germany to see what Labour's sister party is up to. Be warned: a Vote for Pat Rabbitte and co is a vote for budget cuts, privatisations and social 'partnership'.

author by Curiouspublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 18:05author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Ah Steve, the Labour Party is totally separate from the German SPD. They are in different countries. The Socialist International is a very loose federation, there is no central Junta which dictates all policy.

Stephen of course is used to the SP/CWI where there is one line handed down from the CWI Imperial London Leadership. Seeing as Stephen D has raised the subject of international links maybe he could tell us a few things. Why was the Pakistan section expelled from the CWI? How come you lost your entire South African section?

author by Crankypublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 18:13author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Stephen is of course trolling as usual. Hes the SY evil twin from UCD who delights in attacking the CWM and Labour.

author by Tallymanpublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 18:26author address author phone Report this post to the editors

He doesnt like SF, the SWP, the Labour Party or the Catholic Workers. But he demands that comments criticising the SP be deleted.

author by Stephen Daedaluspublication date Wed Aug 18, 2004 18:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

When did I ever say I was a member of the Socialist Party? I never did! Do you not think that if I was a member of the SP I would say so! I was once accused of being in the Labour Party at one stage! It seems to me that if anyone is critical of Labour or SF or Respect they are automatically put into the ranks of the SP according to the Indymedia trollmasters.

pathetic!

author by Tallymanpublication date Fri Aug 20, 2004 11:49author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Your actions speak for themselves. You have attacked SF, SWP, CWM, LP etc. But when the SP were criticised on a thread about the Moore film you demanded the comments be deleted. Given this, it is reasonable to assume that you are a member of the SP.

All anyone has to do to check on the extent of the trolling by Stephen is to use the Indy search facility.

author by Franklypublication date Fri Aug 20, 2004 12:55author address author phone Report this post to the editors

To get back to the topic at hand, I know welfare cuts are undesirable an' all, but is it not a bit, er, tasteless to invoke the memory of a genuinely historic movement in support of a relatively trivial matter. What's next, a hunger strike for better arts funding?

author by esmeraldapublication date Fri Aug 20, 2004 14:15author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It is not a relatively trivial matter and many of those who organize the protests now did also organize them in 1989.

By the way: it is more than just protesting against "Hartz 4". The protests slowly turn anticapitalistic.

author by frankopublication date Fri Aug 20, 2004 14:34author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Do you reckon the govt should raise taxes, or go ahead with the cuts? Maybe they could borrow money to pay for welfare and the like (which is much the same as doing nothing) ? Or is mere protesting good enough?

A choice has to be made.

author by Fergalpublication date Fri Aug 20, 2004 15:05author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It's not a trivial matter, but RELATIVE to living under totalitarian rule, it is trivial. Hence "relatively trivial". To say otherwise is to equate welfare cuts to 50 years of totalitarianism.

author by esmeraldapublication date Fri Aug 20, 2004 18:42author address author phone Report this post to the editors

@fergal:
Hanna Ahrendt, who created and developped the theory of totalitarism said that the former GDR as well as the Sovjet Union could be considered as totalitarian only till Stalin died (in 1953). After Stalins death the system changed deeply and many elements of totalitarism dissapeared.
She also said that many western "liberal democracies" have also elements of totalitarism.
by the way: according to her definition fascism is the totalitarian form of capitalism.

@franco
As long as (like in Germany) the rich have to pay less taxes and international companies almost no taxes while the workers do have to pay everything there is an alternative to welfare cuts:
tax the rich!
smash capitalism!

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