Antifa-Ost-Proceedings: The problem is called right-wing extremism

A young woman, student, just 28 years old, is said to be the ringleader of a left-wing radical group, which fascinates the media and the public. We already know that from another woman from the extreme spectrum: Beate Zschäpe. Like Lina E., she was flown to Karlsruhe to attract media attention, and both were last housed in the Chemnitz prison. “Chaotin in a miniskirt” wrote the “Bild” newspaper about Lina E., and such reporting always resonates with sexism and a fascination because a woman can’t be violent at all. Whatever resonates in this implicit comparison with Lina E. and Beate Zschäpe: the equation of left-wing and right-wing extremism.

The Federal Prosecutor’s Office represents the horseshoe theory, according to which left-wing and right-wing extremism are two ends of the same horseshoe and both would endanger democracy. But the horseshoe theory itself is dangerous, because these two political currents are not comparable. It’s not the same as murdering people because of a racist or anti-Semitic worldview, or fighting back against Nazis, let alone wanting to make the world a better place like the last generation wants to do. This too is now suspected of having formed a criminal organization. There were numerous raids nationwide last week. Ultimately serves § 129, also known as the sniffer paragraph as a first step to be able to monitor groups and people more easily. It is a political tool of persecution and is used to intimidate and delegitimize groups.

However, the problem is right-wing extremism and not left-wing extremism. The attacks in Hanau and Halle were not long ago, in which a total of eleven people were killed due to racist, anti-Semitic and misogynist attitudes. The annual balance sheet of the victim counseling centers documents an increase in right-wing acts of violence, especially bodily harm, of more than 15 percent in 2022, and the board says that racist mobilization and violence would create a widespread climate of fear and insecurity, especially in East Germany. According to the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, left-wing extremist criminal and violent crimes fell by 20.2 percent in 2021, with property damage accounting for the largest part.

Despite these figures, which speak for themselves, repression against the left-wing scene in Saxony has increased in recent years. In an open letter, the LinXXnet MPs’ office writes: “We are therefore aware that that the proceedings were never just about the four accused, but about an anti-fascist and left-wing movement in general.« In 2019, during the mayoral election campaign in Leipzig, the CDU Saxony founded the Soko Linx, which also investigated the Antifa East process. Since it was founded, it has been under great pressure to deliver results, and the Soko has repeatedly been accused of being close to right-wing actors. Internal information from the investigative work was passed on to the right-wing extremist »Compact« magazine, for example.

The repression against the left-wing scene is particularly noticeable in the numerous house searches that have taken place in Leipzig and especially in Connewitz in recent years, two of which were subsequently declared illegal. Exactly how many there were is not certain. A request from the left in the Saxon state parliament remained unanswered. The last one was also not long ago and took place on March 15th, and it was about attacks on neo-Nazis after a fascist demonstration in Budapest. Lina E.’s fiancé is said to have been involved. In a brochure, the Kappa group says that repression in Leipzig has now become normal.

The myth of Connewitz as a left-wing extremist stronghold persists, although one can debate whether there is still so much truth to it, because fewer and fewer people can afford the district and the scene has meanwhile shifted to other parts of the city. But those who live in Connewitz inevitably have to deal with repression and right-wing violence. As part of the Antifa-Ost proceedings, it became known that a pub in the district was under surveillance. And the so-called attack on Connewitz on January 11, 2016, when around 250 to 300 neo-Nazis rioted on Wolfang-Heinze-Straße and destroyed cars, bars and shops, will not be forgotten. In numerous cases, the perpetrators were given mild sentences, and to this day it is unclear who was the mastermind.

A large-scale demonstration by the left-wing scene against repression in Leipzig that was planned for this Saturday was banned on Thursday. At the time of going to press on this page, it was still unclear whether an urgent application by the organizers against the ban would be successful.

Bettina Wilpert is a writer and lives in Leipzig. Most recently, her novel »Roundabouts« was published by Verbrecher Verlag.