That Demonstration Chatter

I've spent about seventy minutes over the past week....reviewing video on YouTube over last Saturday's anti-Corona demonstration in Berlin.  There's a fair amount there.

So, after you look at that and then review all this public TV chatter (since Sunday evening)....about the 'evil' right-wing and neo-Nazi folks, there's a problem or two.

First, from the garb, signs, etc....I might be able to identify maybe 25-percent being right-wing or neo-Nazi.  Among the group, I'd probably identify around 10-percent as being pure and old-fashion 'hippy-types' (the signs, the clothing, the 'look').

Second, there's probably a third of the entire group in just plain regular clothing, without signs, and just marching in support of the negativity against the bans.  Maybe they are right-wing, but they don't have t-shirts with the message or any sign/flag to attach to some group.

Third, the oddball characters.  Some wore soccer jerseys....one might assume they were either soccer fans or soccer hooligans.  Some wore Communist-slogan fashion or had signs attaching themselves to the far-left (these weren't many, but enough to be noticed).  This made up the remaining 40-odd percent of folks in the videos. 

I don't have a problem in agreeing this group from the demonstration could be motivated to fall into the line with the AfD Party.  But before you run off to condemn them or get into another defensive posture like you did with the immigration program (2016 and 2017)....the question is.....are people simply fed up or suffering from the Covid-19 rule business?

If you are on short-time work (figure roughly 10-million German employees are on this list).....then you aren't making one-hundred percent of the monthly check that you did in February.  You've cut back on your lifestyle, avoided a summer vacation, and are counting Euro in your savings account because it now matters each month.

Coming out of this mess in 2021?  There are a fair number of politicians who are being honest now and admitting that only marginal recovery will happen in 2021. 

The stringent rules?  A daily thing that drains the patience of every German. 

The fines for disobeying the mask business....from 50 to 250 Euro.  Police are sent out in mass patrols now to confront the general public.  For each person they fine, you can figure that's one less supporter of the CDU-SPD coalition and improves the AfD odds in 2021's election.

The idea of now making the Bundestag in Berlin into some kind of fortress and fenced off from the public?  That only adds to the spectacle being created. 

The politicians and journalists were fairly naive and stupid in creating the wave that the AfD Party rode out in 2017's election, and it appears the same level is being constructed in 2021.