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CRIME

Three year old child injured in ‘racist’ assault in Dresden

Police in Saxony have reported that three men attacked a mother and her toddler in a racially motivated assault, injuring the child in the process.

Published: 11 June 2020 17:23 CEST
Three year old child injured in ‘racist’ assault in Dresden
A protester at an anti-racism demo in Germany holding a sign that says 'racists are no alternative'. Photo: DPA

The assault took place at a play park in Dresden where the men – all aged between 25 and 30 – racially abused the 32-year-old mother before one of them pushed the child. The toddler fell over and was slightly injured.

The men, who are believed to be German, fled the scene. Police are now calling for witnesses who saw the incident at the play park near Otto Dix Ring.

“There is clearly a racial motive to the crime,” a police spokesperson told Spiegel.

Saxony is considered to be one of the hot spots of racism in Germany. Numerous court cases have taken place against right-wing extremist organisations in the state in recent years. It is also the hub of the Islamophobic Pegida movement.

The subject of racism in German society has gained renewed interest since the killing of a black man by a white police officer in the US led to anti-racism protests across the western world.
 
A study released on Tuesday showed that complaints by ethnic minorities of discriminatory behaviour increased by 10 percent last year.

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RACISM

Outrage after partygoers filmed shouting racist chants on German island of Sylt

A short video of young people singing racist lyrics on the German holiday island of Sylt while celebrating has gone viral, sparking concern and calls for action against those involved.

Published: 24 May 2024 11:47 CEST
Outrage after partygoers filmed shouting racist chants on German island of Sylt

The luxury island of Sylt has been the top trending term on X (formerly Twitter) since Thursday night when a video clip showing a group of young people singing racist slogans while partying on the island went viral.

In the short video clip, taken on a phone by someone in the crowd, people are heard shouting “Ausländer raus” (foreigners out) and “Deutschland den Deutschen” (Germany for Germans) to the melody of the song “L’Amour Toujours” by Gigi D’Agostino. 

A man is also seen holding his fingers on his upper lip as if to indicate a Hitler moustache, and raising his arm in what vaguely looks like a Nazi salute.

Most of the people seen in the video are young adults.

Perhaps equally striking is the fact that nobody in the crowd of more than a dozen or so people seem at all bothered by the racist slogans or gestures. 

As reported by German daily Bild, the video was captured during the Pentecost holiday weekend at a venue called “Pony” in the town of Kampen. 

Explaining to Bild why they had failed to notice the incident, the restaurant’s boss said they had “around 500 people on the outdoor terrace” during Pentecost.

The venue has since distanced itself from the action, writing in a statement on Instagram: “If we had known about the incident, we would of course have expelled the guests in question.”

The operators added that some of the people belonging to the group were known to them by name, and they would file a complaint. 

How are people reacting to the video?

The original video was quickly removed from X, but reposts and screen grabs from the video have spread rapidly as people in Germany voice severe criticism of the racist slogans and behaviour.

On Friday afternoon, Chancellor Olaf Scholz tweeted to say it was “unacceptable”.

“Such slogans are disgusting,” he said.

German journalist and television presenter for ZDF, Dunja Hayali was among the first prominent voices to react to the video. She described the scene: “With a Hitler moustache and champagne, but without “foreigners”. #Sylt 2024.”

She also noted that the news came on the day that Germany was celebrating the anniversary of Basic Law.

Additionally, the Amadeu Antonio Foundation, which works to reinforce democratic and civil values, spoke out in favour of police investigations of the incident.

The Schleswig-Holstein police department wrote on X on Friday morning that they are aware of the video and have forwarded it to the relevant authorities to check for criminal content.

Plenty of other voices have joined in the criticism, which ranges from severe shock and sadness to humorous condemnations.

German author Katja Berlin took note of the apparent wealth of those seen in the video writing, “Perfect promotional video for increasing inheritance tax to 100 percent. Maybe even 130 percent.”

An island of viral moments

Sylt is a German island in the North Sea that is known to be a summer vacation destination for some of Germany’s rich and famous.

In the summer of 2022, memes about the ‘invasion of Sylt’ went viral following the introduction of Deutsche Bahn’s Deutschlandtiket, after BILD ran an article suggesting that the island’s elites were worried about all the riff-raff that could use their €9 subscription ticket to access the island.

This sparked a series of escalating memes about the invasion of Sylt that summer, including an alleged punk rock festival planned for the island.

READ ALSO: What is Sylt and why is it terrified of Germany’s €9 holidaymakers?

Some of the old jokes have resurfaced amidst the current controversy.

For example, musician and social worker, Ulrich Schneider responded to the news saying, “Dear punks, get going, you are needed again on #Sylt.”

Racist songs spreading on social media

Seen in broad daylight, at a public venue, the video from Sylt struck a chord and has stirred up an intense reaction. But it is not the first incident of its kind in recent times.

In fact, the same racist lyrics applied to the same song has been spreading among far-right social media circles. 

As reported by NDR, the song was heard at a Christmas party in Messingen, Emsland and can be traced back to a TikTok trend that originated in Bergholz, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.

READ ALSO: A fight for the youth vote – Are German politicians social media savvy enough?

Videos of people chanting the xenophobic slogans to music have since spread all over Germany and Austria.

In February several young men who shouted the song at a carnival parade are now under investigation for incitement to hatred.

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