“Thinking 2022” about … A conversation about majorities in corona times, corona deniers and the end of patience + video news from Leipzig

The conversation from January 9, 2022, 6 p.m. in the video

In the video call with Gisela Kallenbach, Irena Rudolph-Kokot, Gesine Oltmanns and Henry Lewkowitz. Moderation & press representative: Robert Dobschütz (editor LZ). Video: LZ

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Patience is one of those things. Actually a positive quality, as it often corresponds to perseverance and thoroughness. But if it is interpreted as a weakness, it ends as an expression of disinterest or even approval of something that one does not want to agree with. So probably the thoughts before the first calls were made, in view of the past weeks full of right-wing to bourgeois demos in small Saxon towns, but also in Leipzig.Even in the new “top” there were only about 200 people who demonstrated against the currently discussed compulsory vaccination against the applicable requirements (only stationary rallies for up to 10 people), but of course it was viewed in the media – perhaps too much again As the former EU MEP of the Greens and civil rights activist Gisela Kallenbach stated right at the beginning of the debate (video).

And once again make it clear that in the current “Leipzig Declaration” in particular, the heading: “You are not ‘the people’” is about clarifying that a group cannot claim to be “the people”.

But the start of the “movement” that the other exclusive “people” image is carrying is longer, goes back to the first days of the corona pandemic 2020 and was ultimately directed against all previous corona protective measures. Regardless of whether it was a question of protective mouth masks, keeping your distance or compulsory COVID19 tests – the “lateral thinkers” movement always had something against it, relying on destruction instead of constructiveness.

Sometimes more, sometimes less publicly, people also radicalized themselves, live to this day in the deepest distrust of any state action, shout “Corona dictatorship” and here and there borrowed from the 1989 revolution in order to “overthrow the system”.

In the meantime clearly directed by the right-wing extremist party “Free Saxony”, whose chairman Martin Kohlmann published an ultimately unmasking video contribution just before Christmas. In this 2021 he presented the incumbent Prime Minister of Saxony, Michael Kretschmer, with an ultimatum, if he kept it, he offered a “Christmas peace” at the demos in Saxony.

So the question remains why people who are not right-wing extremists join these protests.

What the second participant of the evening, civil rights activist Gesine Oltmanns (board member of the “Peaceful Revolution” foundation), also gives a glimpse into the lack of coming to terms with the GDR, the time of transition to this day. And the lack of discussion about what constitutes a dictatorship, an injustice state or an authoritarian society. And what effects this type of debating is currently having on families.

For Henry Lewkowitz, Executive Vice President of the “Erich-Zeigner-Haus e. V. “not new, some of the roots of the slogans on today’s demonstrations are reminiscent of times before 1945, and are themselves more authoritarian. He also urged significantly more political educational work and told of a “home visit by the corona deniers” to the Zeigner house. The “elite” bashing and, above all, the careless parroting of slogans and terms such as “genocide” and “holocaust” is one of the current problems for Lewkowitz.

And some things are reminiscent of earlier times, in the rejection of findings from scientists, experts and the decisions made by parliament about corona protective measures.

Irena Rudolph-Kokot from “Leipzig takes a seat” has a story from Zwönitz ready for the end result of the radicalization. As in the 1990s, some people are no longer interested in demonstrations or a social debate when they and an SPD member of the Bundestag in Zwönitz had to flee from a right-wing mob and leave the place. Images of the “nationally liberated zones” from the first years after 1989 are now present again in some Saxon communities.

But the debate goes deeper: Rudolph-Kokot experiences first hand what the compulsory vaccination triggers for first professional groups, especially in his personal work environment.

This and much more, such as a debate about compulsory vaccination for everyone, majorities in the country with a vaccination rate of over 71 percent and how democrats deal with anti-democratic upheaval fantasies can be found in the video recording of the conversation.

The end of the discussion is denied by four calls to meet in Leipzig on Monday from 5:30 p.m. to send a signal against the increasing infiltration of right-wing extremist ideas in part of society. The meeting points are then the market square, the Nikolaikirche, the Thomaskirchhof, the New Town Hall and the Augustusplatz, at which corona protection-compliant assemblies have been registered.

It doesn’t matter whether the “movement” of the “lateral thinkers”, neo-Nazis and friends of conspiracies want to demonstrate in Leipzig on January 10, 2022 or not.

Because an attempt by the “movement” to avoid the counter-protest with an early “walk” this Sunday evening went completely wrong. Not even 20 people followed the call for a relocated “walk” and were stopped by the otherwise very cautious police under the eyes of counter-demonstrators (article to follow).

And as it should be for fans of fake stories, people have been afraid that left-wing provocateurs will mix in their own unannounced demonstration in order to portray the “lateral thinkers” in a bad light. Anyone who feels reminded of the lie of November 7th, 2020, could be right.

In the aftermath, against identified, well-known neo-Nazis, the story circulated in the ranks and at the head of the “lateral thinking” procession that they were left provocateurs.

Perhaps the conclusion of the conversation tonight is correct that there are some people who can no longer be reached for rational explanations.

Note from the editors on their own behalf

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