The Continuing Suppression of Pro-Köln

Pro-Köln is a coalition of political groups based in Cologne that seeks to halt the Islamization of the city, as well as the rest of Germany. It has been active in forming alliances with groups in other countries, and last September an Anti-Islamization Congress in Cologne was forcibly shut down by “anti-racist” anarchist groups with the tacit support of police and the city authorities (see the bottom of this post for a list of previous reports on Pro-Köln).

Below is a digest of the latest information on the attempts to suppress Pro-Köln, as translated and compiled by our Flemish correspondent VH.

Cross-posted at the International Free Press Society.


Cologne Police and Mayor are trying to ban Anti-Islamization Congress

Cologne Police chief Klaus Steffenhagen (SPD, Socialist Party) wants to publicly ban the Anti-Islamisierungskongresses 2009 on the Roncalliplatz on May 9.

The Cologne police leadership announced in a telephone call with Pro-Köln, that for “police tactical reasons” they are not prepared to allow the repetition of the Anti-Islamization Congress on May 9, with well-known Right-wing politicians from across Europe on the Roncalliplatz, in the immediate vicinity of the Cathedral.

From the Pro-Köln website:

Anti Islamization Congress: The Roncalliplatz can not be discussed!

Interview with pro-Köln and pro-NRW chairman and attorney Markus Beisicht on the preparations for the Anti Islamization Congress on May 9 at the Roncalliplatz in Cologne.

Question: The local media mention another blow for the pro-movement and report that the Anti-Islamization Congress will not be allowed to be held at the Roncalliplatz. What is your opinion on these press reports?

Beisicht: It is quite funny that of all newspapers, the Neven DuMont rag paper Express calls it “another blow for the pro movement” [DuMont, having been an enthusiastic supporter of the National Socialists saw his papers banned by the Allies after WWII for a few years]. The report is of course not serious at all. There is the possibility that the police of Cologne, obviously out of political motives, will not give permission for the planned second Congress at the Roncalliplatz. The police chief of Cologne, Klaus Steffenhagen (SPD, Socialist Party) has often expressed himself this way. He wants to prevent at all cost the possibility that pictures of the Right in front of the Cathedral will be sent around the World.

Thus the Socialist police chief forgets that this is the central election campaign presentation of pro-Köln/pro-NRW. Such a campaign presentation has special protection by the constitution and the law on the right of assembly. This can not be shifted from the inner city to somewhere in the desert, out of the sole desire of a politically correct police chief, because obviously not many people will be able to attend such an election presentation then.

The security concerns that are constantly mentioned by him have been pushed to the foreground now. He tries with all means possible to prevent the pro-movement from campaigning in the heart of Cologne, together with successful democratic right-wing politicians from across Europe, in a rally attended by some 2,000 participants.

We want only to meet peacefully at the Roncalliplatz and present our political stands to the electorate in front of the Cathedral. And because of this, the inner city should have to be closed off in advance while nobody has to be evacuated yet.

Furthermore, the Roncalliplatz is often used by our political opponents of whatever political position for all sorts of events. To all those our dear monsieur police chief did not raise any objections. Not when it was a Kurdish or Turkish demonstration, and not even to groups of extremist Palestinian groups when they gather there. Yet they want to refuse us the same right at all cost. But that will certainly not work out here!

Question: Have I understood you correctly that you are fixed on the Roncalliplatz at all costs?

- - - - - - - - -

Beisicht: We have learned our lessons from the events on September 20 last year, of course. At that time we answered the request of Steffenhagen & Co. [the SPD police chief and the Mayor Schramma], and relocated the event from the Roncalliplatz to the Heumarkt, because of alleged safety concerns. And because of this concession our bitter enemies could gather in the front of the Cathedral, and my rival candidate Mayor Fritz Schramma [CDU, Christian Democrat] announced there, in the very Roncalliplatz, that we were being flushed down the toilet. Regarding the Heumarkt meeting, the police then declared the state of emergency and dissolved our authorized rally.

Something like that must not be repeated on May 9. We launch an appeal to all democratic parties to defend the freedom of assembly and the freedom of expression. The police should, instead of bullying the organizers, focus primarily on the potentially violent Leftist Autonomous [Antifa, AFA, “anti-fascists”] as well as their collaborators. A manageable number of people, who were carted down to here from all over the country, exclusively with the intention to prevent a duly registered peaceful meeting of political dissenters.

The Law of Assembly and the Police Act of Nord Rhein-Westphalen give the police enough possibilities to respond adequately. It is unacceptable that in the future a violent Leftist Autonomous mob will determine who may and who may not meet in Cologne. The scandalous circumstances of September 19 and 20 must not be repeated.

Question: Do you think that the leadership of the police in Cologne is going to try to let the Congress fail once again?

Beisicht: I do not exclude that. I can only stress to the point that the incredible events of September 2008 were a disgrace for the whole of Cologne. In the face of the assembled world press scenes were taking place that were thought not to be possible anymore in the Federal Republic.

The distinguished expert on constitutional law, the scholar Prof. Dr. Josef Isensee, even mentioned that it had been “a humiliation of the rule of law, a surrender of the police to the violence of Leftist Autonomous.” The renowned scholar described the operation as “a violation of our freedom of expression and assembly.” The prominent Jewish journalist Henryk M. Broder went even further and lashed against to the proceedings as having been a “total capitulation of the rule of law”. And he said: “The right to demonstrate does not depend on whether one sympathizes with the demonstrators or not: This is a fundamental right.”

I can only once more urgently advise the police leadership in Cologne to study the deliberations of Prof. Isensee and others well.

The event on May 9 [Liberation day following May 8, the day that the National Socialists surrendered in 1945] is on a special date, in particular in regard to the defense of the fundamental right of assembly and freedom of speech in Cologne. All benevolent Democrats are invited!

Question: How do the preparations for the Congress proceed?

Beisicht: The preparations are already in full swing. Almost daily we receive applications to participate with us in the congress. The serious and democratic Rightists from all over Europe will be in the heart of Cologne on May 9 to present themselves in all openness. Should the police persist on their legal viewpoint and try to impose their decision to prevent the event from happening on the Roncalliplatz, then we will immediately file a request for injunctive proceedings with the relevant administrative court in Cologne. In such a lawsuit we will expose that the arguments of the police against the Roncalliplatz are fundamentally false and artificial.

In reality it is purely for political reasons that they want to prevent a major election campaign event of the politically incorrect pro-movement from happening.

Additional material:

Anti-Islamization Congress 2009: The French EU MP Carl Lang has promised to be present!

Paris/Strasbourg/Cologne — The repetition of the Anti-Islamization Congress on May 9 and 10 in Cologne is already on a similarly successful track to last year’s. After the confirmation of the Italian MP, Mario Borghezio (Lega Nord), the German Member of Parliament Henry Nitzsche as well as party leaders of Vlaams Belang and the FPÖ, now also the top-class French Right wing politician Carl Lang confirmed his participation.

Besides the well-known right-wing populist Robert Spieler [Nouvelle Droite PopulaireNRD, “New Popular Right”], also the French Euro MP Carl Lang will be present with a large delegation on May 9 in Cologne. The 51-year-old Carl Lang, who for many years was the Secretary General of the Front National, and one of the brightest minds on French law, will enter the European elections with a his own list. The fight against the Islamization of Europe is one of its prime concerns. Therefore is his confirmation an honor!

Note:

Geert Wilders not long ago declared himself in favor of alliances, and this view is shared by more parties. The Anti-Islamization Congress of the Pro-Movement in Germany may be a stimulus in a similar way for important decent democratic Rightist parties to meet and look for alliances, present their opinions and visions and express their concern over the rapid Islamization and dhimmitude of the old parties.

Oskar Freysinger of the Swiss party SVP-UDC stated at the New Year reception of Vlaams Belang in Antwerp [where Henri Nitzsche of the AFV also gave a speech], that the battle against Multi-culture and Islamization can only be successful when there is a close cooperation at a European level between all like-minded and Rightist patriotic parties.

The list of the parties that participate in the Anti Islamization Congress 2009 for now (there will be more in the coming weeks) is:

Germany: Pro-Köln-Pro NRW, AFV (List Henry Nitzsche)
Belgium: Vlaams Belang
Switzerland: SVP-UDC
Austria: FPÖ
France: List Carl Lang, Nouvelle Droite Populaire
Italy: Lega Nord

It is not yet known whether parties like the PVV, the BNP (last year a delegation with Richard Barnbrook joined the Congress), the DF (Dansk Folkeparti) and the BZÖ, but also the newly founded SSO (Party of Free Citizens, Czech Republic) will also decide to show up at the Anti-Islamization Congress 2009 and by doing so ignore the pressure and slander of the dubious and failed old parties and their violent and undemocratic foot soldiers.

The Danish MP Morten Messerschmidt (DF, Danish People’s Party) has said about the cooperation with the PVV and others: “For all parties it is important to show that you are not on your own with your fears about the Islamization of society. Historically speaking, we were a bit shy about working together. But more and more we feel that we must unite in the struggle against fundamentalist Islam. Certainly because existing parties have a strong tendency to isolate parties like ours, and paint us as being individual exceptions.”

Further notes:

The paramilitary Blackhoods are already busy preparing for the upcoming Congress: “For security reasons [sic] the Congress was banned on short notice […] A victory of the citizens of Cologne against the racist imbeciles by making their Pro-Köln event a first class failure,” as mayor Fritz Schramma [CDU, Christian Democrat] praised the direct actions around the Heumarkt.

They hope the CDU Mayor and his henchmen will ban the Congress in advance this time: “Ultimately, there is again a security risk [sic] because of the outstanding commitment of the citizens of Cologne [they mean the local Blackhoods and collaborators], when again thousands of counter-demonstrators [they mean the foreign Blackhoods and collaborators] will protest against their inflammatory propaganda [an election event].”

The foot soldiers of the CDU Mayor have planned three meetings to begin with. One on “Right-wing populism in the guise of a citizens’ movement”; one on “Anti-fascist initiatives and organizations in North Rhine-Westphalia”, and a small-scale “sturm abteilung” try-out on February 14: “Action against Pro-Köln rally, corner Venloer street!”.

The former DDR newspaper Neues Deutschland writes: Just one day after the anniversary of the liberation from fascism, the extreme right “citizens’ movement Pro-Köln” again organizes a so-called Anti-Islamization Congress in the city. The Cologne anti-fascists responded placidly to the announcement. “If Pro-Köln again wants to make fools of themselves, then let them do so,” says Markus Hemken, spokesman for the initiative “Cologne pub culture against the right”. […] Hemken assumes that there will again be massive protests in May. He also sees it as a duty for Cologne Mayor Fritz Schramma (CDU) again. Schramma called the organizers of the Anti-Islamization Congress in September 2008, “Brown Biedermänner [Bieder-men, a smear word for conservative people from the southern hinterland of Germany], arsonists, racists in bourgeois outfits” and “subtle fear-mongers” and spoke of a “dirty clique of Euro fascists.”

Perhaps there will also a new purpose in life for Charlotte Röhren, the founder of the subsidized leftist program “School Pupils against the Right,” [Schüler gegen Rechts] and of the City School Pupils’ Organization Cologne [BezirksschülerInnenvertretung Köln]. Last year she employed all her talent to create a march song against pro-Köln:

Anti-Pro-Köln song

We will not let us be called stupid
Certainly not by Pro-Köln, that brown pile
We want to live in peace with all peoples
Human rights is our program

Human rights is our program
Human rights is our program
Human rights is our program
Yes, this and only this
With us at the front line.

The School Pupils Organization then explains it has to be sung on the melody of Avanti Popolo [“Forward People”], an “Italian workers and partisan song, traditional” they add.

It is certainly a workers song, to be more precise, the Bandiera Rossa,”The Red Flag”, the revolutionary song of the Italian communists and socialists. It was also a popular workers’ song of the Weimar Republic where Bandiera Rossa was translated as “Blood-red Flags” [Blutrote Fahnen].

“Those Pro-Köln people are dangerous and deceitful,” the spokesman of School Pupils Organization Lars Repp says: “For simple, politically not so well educated students, there is a danger they unconsciously take up their prejudices.”


Previous posts about Pro-Köln:

2008		Jan		20		Cities Against Islamization
				25		The European Initiative “Cities against Islamization”
		Aug		22		Elderly Anti-Islamization Activist Beaten Unconscious
		Sep		4		Gates of Vienna News Feed 9/4/2008
				14		Diana West on Pro-Köln
				19		More Violence Against Pro-Köln Supporters
				20		Chaos in Cologne
				20		Further First-Hand Reports from Cologne
				20		The Upstanding Citizens of Cologne Repudiate Islamophobia
				20		German News Report on the Events in Cologne
				21		The Post-Mortem on Cologne, Part 1
				21		The Post-Mortem on Cologne, Part 2
				21		The Post-Mortem on Cologne, Part 3
				21		The Post-Mortem on Cologne, Part 4
				21		The Post-Mortem on Cologne, Part 5
				22		More Reports from Cologne
				22		Reports from Dutch Visitors to Cologne
				23		Aviel's Report from Cologne
				23		Fjordman on Freedom-Fighting “Fascists”
				26		My Impression of the Cologne Event
				26		The InterNazis
		Oct		8		The Aftermath of Cologne
		Dec		11		The Latest on Pro-Köln
				16		Pro-Köln 2009: Once More With Feeling
				17		“A Renewed Sense of Community”