Berlin’s Left-Wing Coalition Govt Refused to Acknowledge Islamist Terror Just Two Weeks Before the Christmas Market Truck Attack
The new Berlin coalition of Greens, Socialists, and the ‘Left Party’ refused to acknowledge the dangers of Islamist terrorism just two weeks before the Berlin truck attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market.
The governing coalition, known in Germany as the Red-Red-Greens, won power in Berlin earlier this year from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) after a surge in support for the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The ruling parties announced plans to tackle extremism in the German capital as part of their “coalition agreement” signed on December 4th, but have only highlighted right-wing activity, calling Islamic radicalism “international terrorism” and ignoring left-wing extremism entirely reports Die Welt.
The agreement makes it clear that fighting extremism is “high priority” for the new Berlin government but the document makes it very clear the only real danger to Berliners are right-wing extremists. The 250-page document does not mention the term “left-wing extremists” or “Islamist terrorism” once, though “right-wing terrorist violence” is mentioned many times.
A sub-chapter of the document is dedicated to combating “right-wing extremism, racism, anti-Semitism” despite the fact that many of the most anti-Semitic incidents in the city, like the Hezbollah supported al-Quds day march every summer, is led by left-wing supporters.
The government says it will put the “combating of right-wing extremist and xenophobic crimes” at the forefront, and has claimed that anti-fascist organizations were “indispensable” and that they would “permanently secure these institutions.”
One of these institutions in Berlin is the Amadeu Antonio Foundation led by ex-Stasi agent Anetta Kahane. Many have criticised the German federal government for working with Ms. Kahane who is helping monitor and censor speech on social media.
Frank Zimmermann of the Socialists (SPD) said that “the state will take action against any form of violence” but totally downplayed any threat from left-wing extremists saying the ultra-left have never presented any danger to society.
The attitude of the Red-Red-Greens is in total contradiction to German authorities who have reported a sharp rise in left-wing extremist violence toward police, supporters of the AfD and even AfD politicians themselves.
Despite these reports, two of the coalition partners — the Greens and the Left Party — even campaigned on scrapping the Berlin branch of the domestic intelligence service.
In Berlin, left-wing extremists rioted after police tried to evict them from an illegal squat that had been going on for years. They torched cars and destroyed property around the “Riga 94” property.
The CDU has slammed the coalition agreement saying it is a “clear sign of how much the united left is blind,” to left-wing extremism. A police union echoed the comments saying the agreement was “very unfortunate and partially incomprehensible.”
Klaus Schroeder, professor of political science and extremism researcher at the Free University of Berlin said that the entire left present a united front. “They are in the same milieu, those who demonstrate together, and if it comes to riots, it may not be welcomed, but not condemned,” he said.
The new Berlin coalition of Greens, Socialists, and the ‘Left Party’ refused to acknowledge the dangers of Islamist terrorism just two weeks before the Berlin truck attack that killed 12 people at a Christmas market.
The governing coalition, known in Germany as the Red-Red-Greens, won power in Berlin earlier this year from German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) after a surge in support for the anti-mass migration Alternative for Germany (AfD).
The ruling parties announced plans to tackle extremism in the German capital as part of their “coalition agreement” signed on December 4th, but have only highlighted right-wing activity, calling Islamic radicalism “international terrorism” and ignoring left-wing extremism entirely reports Die Welt.
The agreement makes it clear that fighting extremism is “high priority” for the new Berlin government but the document makes it very clear the only real danger to Berliners are right-wing extremists. The 250-page document does not mention the term “left-wing extremists” or “Islamist terrorism” once, though “right-wing terrorist violence” is mentioned many times.
A sub-chapter of the document is dedicated to combating “right-wing extremism, racism, anti-Semitism” despite the fact that many of the most anti-Semitic incidents in the city, like the Hezbollah supported al-Quds day march every summer, is led by left-wing supporters.
The government says it will put the “combating of right-wing extremist and xenophobic crimes” at the forefront, and has claimed that anti-fascist organizations were “indispensable” and that they would “permanently secure these institutions.”
One of these institutions in Berlin is the Amadeu Antonio Foundation led by ex-Stasi agent Anetta Kahane. Many have criticised the German federal government for working with Ms. Kahane who is helping monitor and censor speech on social media.
Frank Zimmermann of the Socialists (SPD) said that “the state will take action against any form of violence” but totally downplayed any threat from left-wing extremists saying the ultra-left have never presented any danger to society.
The attitude of the Red-Red-Greens is in total contradiction to German authorities who have reported a sharp rise in left-wing extremist violence toward police, supporters of the AfD and even AfD politicians themselves.
Despite these reports, two of the coalition partners — the Greens and the Left Party — even campaigned on scrapping the Berlin branch of the domestic intelligence service.
In Berlin, left-wing extremists rioted after police tried to evict them from an illegal squat that had been going on for years. They torched cars and destroyed property around the “Riga 94” property.
The CDU has slammed the coalition agreement saying it is a “clear sign of how much the united left is blind,” to left-wing extremism. A police union echoed the comments saying the agreement was “very unfortunate and partially incomprehensible.”
Klaus Schroeder, professor of political science and extremism researcher at the Free University of Berlin said that the entire left present a united front. “They are in the same milieu, those who demonstrate together, and if it comes to riots, it may not be welcomed, but not condemned,” he said.
