20260430 Vielfalt gegen rechten Terror retten

Standing Up to Threats

Increasingly, people in villages and towns with a large AfD presence are not only being marginalized but are facing real verbal or even physical threats. This is another reason why we have been advocating for years for a review of this party’s constitutionality. Betterplace.org collects and channels donations to projects that promote peaceful coexistence, diversity, and democracy. In their latest newsletter, they report on a particularly egregious case:

Last week, we received the following message from a project manager. "On Thursday afternoon, my apartment in Cottbus was attacked by Nazis. They kicked in the front door and vandalized the apartment door. A Nazi sticker on the mailbox read: ‘Go to hell in Berlin.’

That came as a shock to me, because I had always tried to keep my home address private. But now I’m in a fighting mood: If something like this is going to happen, I want to at least use it for a good cause. That’s why I set up a new project with you guys last night. So we can show: We won’t be driven away. We’re staying — and we’re keeping at it."

This man is a pastor. He founded Losmachen e.V., a civil society co-working space in the heart of Cottbus that provides committed, democratic groups with space, advice, networking opportunities, and support. A place where people who want to get involved aren’t on their own. And that is precisely why he has apparently become a target.

This is not an isolated case. What happened in Cottbus is emblematic of a trend, particularly in eastern Germany, that many observers view with concern: far-right extremists are systematically increasing the pressure on people who are committed to democracy. Physical threats. Disinformation. Intimidation right on their own doorsteps. In our view, the goal behind this is clear: people should no longer dare to take a stand.

And the strategy is working: Those who face constant threats eventually back down. Not because of a ban, but because exhaustion eventually outweighs their resolve. Yet Losmachen e.V. remains undeterred. The organization’s response to the attack: a new project on betterplace.org.

That’s why you should support Losmachen e.V.!
betterplace.org gGmbH, Schlesische Str. 26, 10997 Berlin