At the end of November, the AfD is founding a new youth organisation.
In doing this, the AfD wants to tie militant Neo-Nazis and their networks closer to the party. The fascists in the AfD are following a strategy of insurrection. They want a leadership of terror in the tradition of the Nazis. The mass deportation of millions of people is only possible with massive violence and terror—against Muslims, against people with a migration background, against queer people, and against all people who do not fit in their world view. That means all of us.
We know that anti-Muslim racism is part of the DNA of the AfD. This is made possible by the racism in the middle of society. Since the start of the genocide in Gaza, state violence against Muslim people has grown immensely.
The AfD is markedly pro-Israel, supports its genocidal government, and dreams of ethnic cleansing of migrants in Germany in the way that Israel carries it out against Palestinians. It is not hard to imagine that if the AfD were to take power, Palestinians and Muslim people would be the first victims of their rule of terror. This makes it even more important that the Palestine movement involves itself massively in the fight against Fascism.
For the end of November, the Widersetzen (resistance) alliance is organising massive protests against the formation of the AfD youth organisation. The Palestine movement is part of this, as consistent anti-fascism is anti-racist.
Two years of genocide have shown what the people in power are capable of. But the last two years have also shown that people striving for justice and will not be silent.
It was the Palestine movement which, despite state repression and massive police violence, was on the streets protesting against the massacre of people in Gaza. It was the Palestine movement, which, despite media sanctions and smear campaigns, stayed on the streets and demanded an end to genocide, apartheid, and ethnic cleansing. It was the Palestine movement which initiated the largest anti-war movement in recent decades. And it is the Palestine movement which has the power to make an important contribution towards strengthening the fight against Fascism and to blockade the AfD, including their youth organisation.
Part of this resistance contains factions whose positions on Palestine we reject. We are convinced that this has got to change. We can achieve this at best by working together with such factions to resist fascism, and as part of this to confidently fight for our positions.
Free Palestine! Stop the AfD Youth!
This statement is supported by the following organisations:
- Chemnitz4Palestine
- Free Palestine Bonn
- Gaza Komitee Köln
- Erfurt Unsilenced
- Thawra Hamburg
- Jena für Palästina
- Palästina Spricht München
- Gaza Komitee Berlin
- The Left Berlin
- Students for Palestine Freiburg
- Palästina Solidarität Köln
- Free Palestine Dresden
- Palästinaaktionsbündnis Leipzig
This statement was originally written in German. Translation: Phil Butland
