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Be Loud Against Fascism 'KRISTALLNACHT' POGROM COMMEMORATION campaign report 2011 Be loud against fascism 9.11.2011 Never Again 'Kristallnacht' - Demonstrations in different cities in Sweden Antifascist Days 2011 in Madrid (Spain) 9 NOVEMBER INTERNATIONAL DAY AGAINST FASCISM & ANTISEMITISM 9 November 2011 • International Day Be loud against fascism An antifascist chorus resounding all over Europe The Holocaust, like all other genocides, taught us a lesson of extreme importance: silence kills. Xenophobic politics, discourses and individual actions become part of our everyday lives mainly as a result of our mute passivity. The “Kristallnacht” pogrom symbolises this lesson, and its commemoration is a reminder that we cannot remain mere witnesses to the spreading of xenophobic arguments. In order to shake people up and stress the im-portance of being active and loud in the antifascist struggle, UNITED seized the opportunity of the 2011 International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism - Be Loud Against Fascism to echo the voices of the activists in the network. In a context of an economic crisis creating fertile ground for fascist ideas, the tightening of European immigration policy, Why the rise in Islamophobic and “Romaphobic” discourses, this Campaign and the constancy of racist, homophobic and antisemitic prejudice, people in vulnerable situations are deprived of around their voices, of their ability to be heard and protest. Having 9 November a voice is a privilege, and being loud against fascism is a duty. On 9 November 1938, nazi Germany started a pogrom Resistance is not and cannot be quiet; that is why UNITED against Jewish people. SA Storm Troopers and civilians decided to collect and spread voices of resistance from destroyed more than 1.400 synagogues and other places within the movement. of religious service, as well as thousands of Jewish homes, What does it mean to be an antifascist today? Why is shops and graveyards, and impri-soned, in-jured and killed resistance important? Why do we need to campaign against hundreds of Jews in nazi Germany and parts of Austria. fascism? These are some of the questions we raised, and Pieces of broken windows covering the streets in many although the motives may differ, the core argument remains German cities gave rise to the name “Kristallnacht”, which, the same: “we must collectively ensure that fascism, freely translated means the Night of Broken Glass. propelled by a racialist view of the world, must never, ever, The “Kristallnacht” pogrom is seen as the symbolic be allowed to wield power again in any way, shape or form”. beginning of the Holocaust - the systematic extermination (Graeme, Hope Not Hate, UK) of Jewish people. It reminds us that the persecution of Jews by the nazis did not start with deportations and concentration As in previous years, hundreds of organisations and informal camps, but developed step by step and eventually led to the groups have joined this antifascist chorus to commemorate murder of at least 6 million Jewish people and 5,5 million the Holocaust and fight for a just and peaceful future in “enemies of the German state”: homosexuals, criminals an inclusive world. About 300 awareness-raising activities, and “asocial” people, Jehovah’s Witnesses, people with organised in 49 European countries, made this campaign mental disabilities, minorities like Roma and Sinti, political widely heard and inspirational all over Europe. “offenders” such as communists, socialists, Spanish Republican refugees or simply people who challenged the This report recounts the historical background of the national-socialist ideology (antifascists, so to speak). campaign and presents the 2011 campaign highlights from different countries. The complete activity list is printed in the Since 1993, UNITED has coordinated a pan-European footer of this report and can also be found on UNITED’s campaign to mark 9 November and named this date website - www.unitedagainstracism.org. International Day Against Fascism and Antisemitism. List of activities • INTERNATIONAL > 1-15.11.11 “Holocaust Remembrance - the Way to Tolerance” 10th International competition between schoolchildren, students & teachers, organised by Russian Research & Educational Holocaust Center. 9.11.11 “Toolkit (Beta) on Holocaust and Human Rights Education” Launch of online education tool on the web, organised by EU Agency for Fundamental Rights & Yad Vashem. 9-10.12.11 “The World which Was Built by X: In Search of Utopia” International antifascist art contest in different Russian-speaking regions, organised by Youth Human Rights Movement - International Network & Youth Network Against Racism and Intolerance. • ALBANIA > 9.11.11 “Day Against Antisemitism and Fascism” Movies & discussion in Tirana, organisation by Beyond Barriers Association. 9.11.11 “Different, but United” Meeting, workshop & producing postcards in Elbasan & Durres, organised by Useful to Albanian Women. 9.11.11 “Lets Talk about Fascism and Antisemitism” Conference in Tirana, Organised by AEGEE European Student’s Forum Tirana. 9.11.11 “Different, but United - Women Make History Everyday” Meeting between Roma & non-Roma women In Tirana, organised by Useful to Albanian Women. 9.11.11 “Changing Discrimination into Inclusion” Workshop in Tirana, organised by Albanian Society in Development. 9.11.11 “All in One Society” Street action in Korca, organised by Roma Active Albania. • ARMENIA > 1-3.10.11 “Media Manipulation, Freedom of Expression & Alternative Journalism in Relation to Human Rights Advocay” Trainings in Yerevan, organised by Meliora Cultural Charity Youth. • AUSTRIA > Ongoing “National Socialism & Holocaust - Memory & Presence” Educational campaign & info platform for events & projects in Austria, organised by erinnern.at. 23.9.11 “Be Loud Against Fascism” Spreading UNITED campaign material & press release in Vienna, organised by Katholische Aktion Osterreich. 25.10.11 “Austrian Resistance” Lecture in Wels, organised by Upper Austrian Antifa Network, Welser Initiative Against Fascism & Education House Schloss Puchberg. 26.10.11 “Der Herr Karl” Movie in Wels, organised by Infoladen Wels. 28.10.11 “Commemorating Victims of the National Socialism” 2 Against Fascism and Antisemitism The “Kristallnacht” pogrom: Campaigning with UNITED a short history Why do we need to care about something that belongs to history books? Surely, it is better to concentrate on the future Until 9 November 1938, the daily terror against Jews and rather than on the past, but how do we know that past is a political opponents had the appearance of being unplanned closed chapter? Can we be sure the events of 9 November and not sanctioned by the leadership of the nazi party, the 1938 are totally irrelevant to the present and the future? The government of Germany. However, this changed when an answer is: “No”. The seemingly distant past is not distant incident in Paris was utilized by the nazi regime to launch a at all. All over Europe violence against minorities happens pogrom against Jews throughout nazi Germany and parts today. The lessons of tragic history are not learnt by our of Austria. societies. We need to make sure the past is not forgotten. On 6 November, a young Jew living in Paris, Herschel Even more importantly, we must react against the rise of Grynszpan, received a postcard from his father Zindel right-wing extremism, racism and intolerance here and now. who had been deported, along with 18.000 other German History proves that silence comes with a price – thus we Jews, on 27 October to the Polish frontier. The postcard stand UNITED and get loud against fascism! described the terrible conditions that the deportees were Europe is constantly evolving, and civil society contributes to suffering. Herschel Grynszpan was so angered by what this proces by means of cooperation, education, networking he read that he went to the German Embassy in Paris and and campaigning. Acting in defense of individual freedom shot the first German official that he saw, Ernst vom Rath, at a European level is the political and moral commitment a diplomatic assistant. Vom Rath died of his injuries on 8 that the UNITED network takes on through its members November and the news of his death reached Germany the all over Europe. Such a task requires not only determination next day. Adolf Hitler and his Propaganda Minister Joseph and willingness but also effectiveness. Common campaigns Goebbels were at that moment on the NSDAP-celebration provide a platform for true grassroots activism and on occasion of the 10th anniversary of the ill-fated Hitler- inspiration and motivation for those who want to organise putsch on 9 November 1923. Goebbels directly used this low or no-budget activities in a pan-European frame of like- occasion to hold an antisemitic hate speech in front of the minded groups with a common goal. assembled SA-leadership, where he blamed the Jews for the death of Ernst vom Rath. The UNITED campaigns are based on the principle of “think global and act local”. Organisations arrange activities on local level within an intercultural and international framework. The UNITED secretariat stimulates and coordinates the diverse campaign activities all over Europe on a common date and provides organisations with campaigning-tools (like posters, thematic leaflets, PR- material, background information on the campaigns, etc.) advice and contacts of local like-minded organisations for possible cooperation. The strength of coordinating many actions on a common date is that we are enabled to draw European-wide attention to one specific topic. Media, general public, and also policy- makers are more likely to be interested and attracted by the highlighted issues. Another advantage of the UNITED campaigns is the “good practice” effect. The different participating groups are enabled to share experiences, ideas and good practice and empower each other in their actions. The pogrom started in Berlin on 9 November 1938, organised unofficially by Hitler's SA storm troops. In a What is UNITED? telegram-letter to all SA and SS-groups, Reinhard Heydrich, UNITED for Intercultural Action is the European network leader of the SS, clearly ordered the violence to begin.
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