Solidarity protest in Friedberg: Merz's cityscape statement outraged!

Solidarity protest in Friedberg: Merz's cityscape statement outraged!

On Saturday afternoon, around 20 people gathered on Elvis-Presley-Platz in Friedberg to send a silent signal against the latest statements by Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). This rally was launched by FW politician Cenk Gönül, who emphasized that the action should not be about big speeches, but about exchange and discussion about the current challenges in society. Participants of the “Grandmas Against the Right” initiative also joined in to show their solidarity.

During a visit to Brandenburg, Merz explained that “of course there is always this problem in the cityscape,” which many people present found to be general and unfair towards migrants. He spoke about the need for repatriations and thus caused irritated reactions. Many participants in the Friedberg morning rally expressed the wish that the Chancellor should build bridges instead of deepening divisions. Cenk Gönül emphasized that the tone of the political debate was problematic and that the actual issues of migration often did not receive enough attention.

Merz's controversial statements

Merz was already criticized last week for his statements on migration, which met with a strong response in the Bundestag. Green party leader Katharina Dröge called for more decency and described his comments as hurtful and discriminatory. Reporting on these issues has led to the term “cityscape,” which Merz used, being criticized by many as a euphemistic code for the visible presence of people perceived as non-German or non-white. According to sociologist Nina Perkowski, for example, this term constructed a collective feeling of unease and legitimized measures such as deportations.

The discussion about Merz's statements came into particular focus when it became known that the passage about the cityscape was missing from the official transcript of the event. The government spokesman explained that Merz had made party political statements at that moment, which contradicted the neutrality requirement. Experts disagree as to whether this deletion was legitimate or not, while political scientists argue that Merz must be held accountable for his statements.

Outlook for further actions

After the rally in Friedberg, Gönül announced a silent march against Merz's statements, which is planned for the coming weekend. The participants in the Friedberg event do not see themselves as an anti-Merz demo, but rather as supporters of fellow citizens who want to make their voices heard in a tense political atmosphere. There was agreement among the participants that current statements from political dignitaries often struck an inappropriate tone.

At a time when racism, discrimination and social exclusion are a concern for many people in Germany, it is even more important that open dialogues and discussions take place without prejudice. The next steps in this debate promise to be continued with the same commitment.

With all of these issues, the question remains how the cityscape will develop in the federal government and what role society will play in this. How will the political debate shape the perception of migration and its effects? These questions still remain.

fnp.de reports on the rally and the background to it, during tagesschau.de recorded the criticism leveled at Merz and the discussion in the Bundestag. Provides further insights correction.org, where the background to the deletion of Merz's statement is explained.