[Leipzig] That was just the first prank - Militant report from wild Genz-Z-regulated demonstration

“When is it finally going to happen? – slightly Saxon teenagers with puffer jackets

When we arrived at Augustusplatz, there was a crowd of several thousand people there, but basically not much more going on than at the better attended school strikes against conscription this year. What was noticeable was the slightly changed composition, with visibly more young people, fewer activists and many larger groups on the fringes, which seemed motivated less by the peaceful commitments of the demo organization and more by the expected unrest. As the demo progressed, you could feel an increasing tension, pyrotechnics were being lit throughout (when was the last time that happened at a registered meeting in Leipzig?), individual bottles were flying and the crowd was having more and more fun, so that the organized boredom of the Latsch demo could be broken up. In the anarchist mini-block, in addition to slogans against the obviously stressed police, there were ultimately calls for looting, which were shouted and spread by several riot-ready young people. The action-oriented part had already dragged on during the demo, even if the distribution of pyrotechnics and disruptive actions throughout the entire demo made it difficult to stop the whole thing.

“Yes, definitely, off to the city center – minors with Palestine stickers.”

When we arrived at Augustusplatz, as the participants slowly began to leave, an arrest was made for the theft of a German flag, as we found out afterwards. When the person was pushed against the wall and checked by two police officers, around 200 young people immediately showed solidarity with loud slogans and an aggressive mood. They surrounded the security units, whereupon the control was broken off. As the crowd became intoxicated by their success and became even more excited, the police had to flee from the crowd, which fired projectiles at them. 

Then chaos broke out. It was clear to everyone that the whole thing wasn't over, but was just beginning. While the few experienced comrades encourage people to panic less unnecessarily and others discuss loudly with everyone about the path to take, the first groups are busy working on the track bed. After running around wildly and barely managing to get people onto the street instead of onto the sidewalk (still German youths at the end), the first calls came to move into the city center and give the conservatives what they had been warning about in panic for weeks. This is then quickly repeated by prepubertal voices. 

Except for a small Sponti, who is prevented from doing so by pepper spray, the crowd tends to gravitate towards the large police station on the Dimitroff. When we had almost arrived with a lot of energy, Team Blue was just able to mobilize their strength to take something away from us. However, the mob could not be stopped and instead moved towards the Bayerischer Bahnhof, where there were again pepper attacks, overturned garbage cans and individual stones being thrown. However, since there was no clear goal despite the self-confident initiatives of the young comrades, things became somewhat scattered. 

"Should we go to the cops? Ok, but then everyone together!" – young comrades with red scarves

We thought it was over now. After all, here in Germany you can only think as far as you know, and since nothing was prepared by the usual circles, nothing will work. But when we arrive on the large Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse, we are amazed: at least 500 people seem to have reunited. A flag in the front, motivated, half-masked people in the middle who throw everything they can find onto every street. Behind them, individual people deglazing bus stops and advertising signs. There is a lack of more coordination, more targeted actions and simply pyrotechnics, which was obviously exhausted at the demo - after all, no one expected it here.

There is an angry atmosphere everywhere and a shared joy at experiencing a moment that is rare in Leipzig or in any case has not existed for years. 

The first state car is on Kurt-Eisner-Strasse. The police had previously been conspicuously unable to keep up and shift forces. The marauding masses are briefly unsure how to deal with it. The fear of the police baton and the kettle seems to be great, and the confidence in one's own strength is low. In the end, it would have only taken two or three determined attackers to convince one car to drive again. But we then stood together against the palpable fear and part of the crowd formed up to go around the police and continue towards Connewitz. It wasn't until Kantpark that there were too many police vehicles for the courage and inexperience of the young people, so everything dissolved. Of course, the police then had to beat up the minors running around and then arrest 20 of them, where you could see and hear their anger at this loss of control, which they are simply not used to. There was also a fire at a school (https://medienservice.sachsen.de/medien/news/1100883).

“Fuck, I would have gone there” autonomous comrade over a beer after work

Comrades and crash kids then gather around the cauldron for hours, supporting, informing and lighting up the night again and again with loud pyrotechnics. Judging by their helicopter and drone movements, the cops didn't have a quiet evening.

Many of us weren't there because, understandably, we didn't take the matter seriously enough. Even if they were there, they were simply not able to act spontaneously. In any case, this is a problem in our circles that we will not solve any time soon. But it shouldn't stop us from changing now and getting out of our rut. 

As comrades for whom this was not the first wild demonstration, we would say: the spark has ignited.

At least he was yesterday. Of course only within the framework of what is realistic in Germany. But when we see the looting in Frankfurt and the burning barricades in Hamburg, then there is potential. If 7,000 to 8,000 people join these diffuse calls, then there is potential, especially because the wild part will make people want more.

Several hundred, if not one or two thousand, wanted to demonstrate honestly, like in France. Even such adapted protests can result in something. We have the opportunity to finally take part in a rebellious youth movement and we should not let it go to waste. 

There are already calls that could be supported (https://de.indymedia.org/node/868169). We should go to the open meetings and encourage everyone to carry on like they do in France and finally break out of the ritualized walking around the ring every few months. We have to wake up and take young people's anger seriously.

Or as the young people at the demo demanded (hopefully not just) ironically:   

    Guys, stop staring, let's get into the shops! 

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